Understanding Rural Alcohol Use
Would you be surprised to know that rural Pennsylvania communities have a harder time managing harmful alcohol use than city and suburban populations? The severity of alcohol use disorders (AUDs) can differ depending on where you live, and rural residents [...]
From Philly Cheesesteaks to Football: Self-Care in Recovery
Recovery is a journey that challenges and strengthens you in unexpected ways. Along the way, one vital tool you can rely on is self-care. No, not bubble baths or shopping sprees—though those might help some people! Self-care is all about [...]
How to Tell the Person You’re Dating About Your Recovery
It's typically recommended that people in the early stages of recovery refrain from dating due to the temptation to focus on the "high" of a new relationship instead of the self-improvement that is necessary to sustain long-term sobriety. However, once [...]
How He Knew He Needed Help: One Man’s Recovery Story
Today we’re diving into the story of how Pennsylvania native, A.J. Daulerio, knew he needed help for substance use disorder (SUD). Daulerio suffered from addiction to multiple substances for years and told a prominent podcaster that he had no other [...]
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. [...]
Substance Abuse and Sexual Health: What’s the Connection?
Teens might make impulsive choices. Perhaps during a night of partying, fueled by alcohol or drugs, an adolescent comes home in a police car—or winds up breaking a bone. Sometimes substance abuse extends into adulthood, and a grown person becomes [...]
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 [...]
