Can Inflammation Cause Impulsivity With Substances?
What’s red, achy, hot to the touch, and totally silent at the same time? If you guessed inflammation, you’re 100% correct. But if you’re in recovery from substances, how does inflammation come into the picture? Let’s find out. What [...]
Why Light Drinking Still Causes Harm
Fewer than 7 drinks per week. That’s it. That’s the definition of light drinking, according to a massive study from the BMJ Group in 2025. Depending on how you grew up and your previous history with alcohol, getting down to [...]
What Is Gas Station Heroin?
You might feel like gas station heroin is super dramatic for a supplement sold next to energy drinks and snacks at your local 7-Eleven. But if you or someone you care about has struggled with opioid use disorder (OUD), you [...]
Will I Get Addicted to Pain Pills?
We all have the capacity to eventually get there—throwing out our backs in our thirties or caring for the sports injury of a teenage child—and suddenly opioid-based pain killers enter daily life. Each one of us is vulnerable to injuries [...]
What Is Gaming Addiction?
Maybe you’ve noticed your teenager glued to a video game controller for hours, or you’re starting to wonder if your own gaming sessions are getting out of hand. It’s easy to shrug it off, but video game dependency—what’s now called [...]
What’s Kratom?
Maybe you’ve seen kratom trending online or mentioned on podcasts, and now you’re wondering what it really is—and whether your loved one might be using it. If you think a deeper issue could be at play and that kratom may [...]
Gummy Ghosts and Other Negative Side Effects of THC Gummies
Here at St. Joseph Institute, we often hear intense substance use stories. But not all of them are sad. Some stories are funny and provide helpful tips for navigating legal substance use for people in Port Matilda, Wexford, and beyond. [...]
Rethinking New Year’s Resolutions in Recovery
The winter holidays can be challenging for many of our patients in residential recovery for alcoholism and substance abuse. A time of designated gift-giving, merriment, family time, and cozy atmospheres can bring with it triggers, stress, seasonal affective disorder symptoms [...]
Is CBD Safe For People in Recovery?
CBD is the most commonly used name for cannabidiol, a product of the cannabis sativa plant that doesn’t actually give you a high. Understandably, there’s some confusion about how a cannabis product can not cause intoxication, but think of this [...]
The Dangers of THC Beverages
From Port Matilda to Philadelphia to across the United States, the sale and consumption of THC beverages is on the rise. While it’s younger people, mainly Millennials and Gen Zers that consume these cannabis-infused seltzer and alcohol-free cocktails, more and [...]
