Practicing Recovery: Forgiveness
How many times have you looked in a mirror and felt disappointment? We all have complaints about our physical selves, and for many of us, our disappointment runs deeper, to the ways we think, feel, and act. This disappointment leads [...]
Family Recovery: Establishing Boundaries
As family members and friends of an addicted loved one, you have probably observed this person fail to establish clear boundaries. You may also have a hard time establishing the boundaries that would protect you from this person’s behavior. Learning [...]
Practicing Recovery: Healthy Stomach, Healthy Brain
Overeating processed foods is one of the most common ways to replace a drug or alcohol addiction. Pamela M. Peeke, MD, MPH, has worked with addiction treatment centers across the country to educate residents about “hyper-palatables”—sugary, fatty, or salty foods—and [...]
The Senior Addict: Meeting the Treatment Needs of Older Adults
Addiction among seniors is a growing problem. Unfortunately, this problem often slips under the public radar, and the government does not provide seniors the education, attention, and funding they deserve. This article looks at 10 barriers to age-appropriate treatment for [...]
Practicing Recovery: Yoga
What does yoga have to do with recovery? Quite a lot, according to Google. Search “yoga for addiction,” and you will find countless articles from professional sources about the benefits of yoga in recovery. Yoga is not just for women, [...]
Enabling: Learning the Difference Between Love and Attachment
Guilt. Resentment. Anxiety. Exhaustion. If you have an alcoholic or addict in your life and feel one or more of these feelings consistently, you are probably engaging in enabling behavior. What is enabling? Enabling is the illusion of help, the [...]
Practicing Recovery: Grounding & Centering
We have shared many blog posts about recovery as a process, as a habit that takes daily practice and attention. We’ve talked about the many triggers of relapse, from stress to poor health to depression. Another major trigger for relapse [...]
Practicing Recovery: Breath Work
All residents at St. Joseph Institute learn about breath work: what it is, how to do it, and why it helps. But breathing is one of the easiest practices to overlook. We breathe without thinking about it, and we often “forget [...]
Practicing Recovery: Managing Negative Thoughts
“Don’t believe everything you think.” This short, simple phrase is the key to managing negative thoughts. Why manage negative thoughts? Negative thinking supports negative emotions, and the two together lead to feelings of stress, powerlessness, and the need for escape. [...]
Practicing Recovery: Nutrition
FACT: Addicts in active stages of using drugs and alcohol are malnourished. FACT: Good nutrition actually impacts cravings for drugs and alcohol. Residents at St. Joseph Institute learn these two facts (and many more!) in classes about how to replenish [...]
