How to Avoid a Relapse After Treatment for a Substance Use Disorder: 4 Key Tips for People in Recovery
Substance use disorders are considered chronic illnesses, which means that relapse will always be a possibility. However, certain preventative measures can help reduce your risk of relapse as you transition from residential treatment back to independent living. 1. Understand Your [...]
The Connection Between Exercise and Mood in Recovery
The "runner's high" you may have heard about isn't just a myth. Karmel Choi, a clinical and research fellow at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, found a 26% decrease in a person’s odds of becoming depressed for [...]
5 Stages of Addiction: Understanding the Development of a Substance Use Disorder
How Does Substance Use Disorder Happen? Addiction doesn't develop overnight. It is a chronic, progressive illness. The signs of a substance use disorder can be easy to miss in the early stages, which is why many people delay seeking treatment. [...]
Understanding the Role of Mental Health in Addiction and Recovery
Mental Health in America According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), one in five adults in the United States struggles with mental illness each year. Mental health issues increase a person's risk of developing a substance use disorder, [...]
How Gratitude Helps Build Resilience in Recovery
Although gratitude takes center stage during the Thanksgiving holiday, reminding yourself of what you're most grateful for should be a year-round practice. Gratitude helps build the resilience you’ll need to tackle the challenges you’ll face on the road to recovery. [...]
Don’t Let Grief Trigger a Relapse
The loss of a loved one is already considered one of the most painful experiences a person can go through, but the grieving process has been complicated for many by the uncertainty surrounding the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic. If you're mourning [...]
How to Protect Your Mental Health During COVID-19
In uncertain times, it's important to be proactive about managing your mental health. Use these tips to help you navigate the challenges posed by the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic as you continue to put sobriety first. Give Yourself Permission to Feel [...]
Festive Non-Alcoholic Holiday Drink Ideas
If this is your first holiday season in recovery, you may find yourself wondering how you'll stay sober through months of parties with family and friends. At St. Joseph Institute for Addiction's Pennsylvania substance abuse treatment center, we recommend defusing [...]
Using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to Treat Substance Use Disorders
What Is CBT? When many people think of going to therapy, they are imagining the traditional Freudian psychoanalysis they've seen on TV and in movies. They picture laying on a comfy couch while a therapist asks about their childhood to [...]
Sober Living: 7 Things to Be Grateful for This Thanksgiving
Gratitude If this is your first Thanksgiving in recovery, there's much to be grateful for. The skills you learned in St. Joseph Institute’s Pennsylvania drug and alcohol treatment center have built the foundation for a better life. Take some time [...]
