Letting Go in Family Recovery (Happy Thanksgiving!)
Once again, it’s the holiday season with a tradition of gathering and gift-giving to folks you care about! And Thanksgiving is the time we count our blessings and express gratitude – all part of the recovery process! At Sanford Behavioral Health, we care about our clients and Excursions readers and have a little practical […]
Stigma Busting! Education is Key in Family Recovery
In December of 2021, Sanford Founder, Rae Green and I delivered a presentation to Washtenaw Families Against Narcotics (WFAN). One element of that presentation was a discussion related to relapse. We introduced the concept of calling it a recurrence instead of relapse as part of our section on stigma busting addiction and co-occurring disorders […]
Mindfulness in Recovery – I’m a Believer!
Mindfulness seems to be “the latest and the greatest” self-help tool in the mental health toolbox. I am reminded of my past take on exercise and physical health. When both concepts, exercise and mindfulness, were first introduced as recovery tools, I was skeptical! Now, I’m a huge believer in the strength of both these […]
Who Do You Trust? Rebuilding Connection in Family Recovery
Our last articles focused on the dynamics impacting early recovery for the family. I thought this might be a good time to look at the role of trust and the impact of mistrust in the family recovery process. When a family loses trust, the sense of connection as a family is also lost. And for […]
Family Addiction Education – It Takes a Lifetime!
We ended our last article with a comment on learning. We said, “The more you learn, the more you want to know and understand.” That’s a great lead into our next element of discussion for your recovery plan – family education. The requirements for family recovery all go together. They include EDUCATION, SUPPORT and […]
Self-Care and Support: The Family Recovery Plan
In a recent article, we looked at the Dynamics Impacting Families in early recovery. In this article, we will look at what these dynamics mean to your recovery plan. We will address the family’s “stages of change” and focus on the “preparation” and “action” stages. Self-Care and Support Simply stated, we will focus […]
Dynamics of Early Recovery – Family Education Series
“Ahh, finally they agreed to some treatment. What a relief! We’re finally going to end this chaos and disruption our family has been living through…” Not so fast, my friends. Yes, treatment works and opens the path to recovery for those with substance use disorders (SUD) by establishing a foundation, or plan, to follow. […]
Warning Signs of Relapse: Early Recovery and Beyond
In my most recent article, Understanding Relapse – A Family Guide, we reviewed some of the realities of addiction relapse. We also looked at individual recovery plans designed to provide support and accountability towards family recovery. Now we will look at the bigger picture of relapse in addictive disease and the warning signs in […]
Ongoing Recovery Support for Family & Friends!
Sanford’s Family Education Program has just completed its first year of virtual service to the family and friends of our clients! Ongoing Recovery Support – A Look Back… At Sanford Addiction Treatment Centers, we have always acknowledged the significant role family and friends can play in the treatment of and recovery from addiction. Family […]
New Year’s Resolutions? Think Resiliency in 2021!
Welcome to 2021! I wish to start the year off with some resiliency focused thoughts: You are only in control of yourself. You do not and cannot control any other person or situation. Only you are responsible for your beliefs, emotions, and actions. Resiliency in the New Year Being in control of yourself […]
