Understanding the Relationship Between Poverty and Addiction
The relationship between addiction and poverty is complicated. Lower income people are slightly more likely to struggle with drug or alcohol abuse, but this doesn't necessarily mean that poverty causes addiction. In some cases, financial troubles are the result of [...]
Reward Ideas For Staying Sober
When should you reward yourself for reaching sobriety goals? How do you structure your routine to kick start motivation back into action when cravings strike? These are questions that many patients have in our Port Matilda residential addiction treatment program. [...]
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. [...]
The Power of Decluttering Your Recovery Space
Have you ever noticed that the tendency to hold onto physical stuff can mirror the inability to let go of substances? You may at this very moment be staring at a cluttered space, filled with items you’ve collected over years [...]
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 [...]
Breathing and Mindfulness Techniques for Managing Stress in Recovery
When our clients arrive in Port Matilda to begin residential addiction treatment with us, they have to take the first few hours, days, and weeks one at a time. Jumping from chronic, active substance use disorder (SUD) symptoms to managing [...]
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 [...]
What is Serial Dating and How Does it Affect Sobriety?
One tri-state area psychologist and author on dating topics, Paulette Sherman, explains that serial daters are people dependent on early-dating romance. The chase, the novelty, and the freshness of a brand new dating partner excites them in ways likened to [...]
Breaking Up with Your Sponsor: What to Do When the Relationship Isn’t Working
In Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and other 12-Step programs, a sponsor is someone who serves as a voice of reason in your recovery journey. They are established with their own sobriety and have agreed to support your efforts to work the [...]
How Addiction Can Affect Marriage
It’s no secret: married couples often experience disagreements, infidelity, financial strain, and, sometimes, tragedy. They can fail to be on the same page or feel like they’re falling out of love. Many factors can influence a divorce. However, research shows [...]
