Although there's nothing wrong with dinner and a movie, sometimes you want a new sober date idea—especially if you're planning an outing for Valentine's Day, your anniversary, your sweetheart's birthday, or another special occasion. The team at St. Joseph Institute has put together this list of fun sober date ideas in the State College area [...]
Evidence-based addiction treatment helps build the foundation for a lasting recovery, but it's understandable to worry about how to afford the care you need. However, there are many options available—regardless of whether you have access to private health insurance coverage. Paying for Treatment with Insurance The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, often referred to [...]
Unfortunately, graduating from residential treatment doesn't mean your substance use disorder has been cured. Addiction is considered a chronic disease, which means the condition must be continually managed to reduce the risk of relapse. The Chronic Nature of Addiction Chronic diseases are much more common than you might expect. According to the Centers for Disease [...]
True recovery involves more than mere abstinence. Someone who has quit drinking, but has yet to embrace the characteristics associated with a wellness-focused sober lifestyle, is sometimes referred to by others in recovery as a dry drunk. The term dry drunk is an oxymoron, meaning that a person is behaving in ways that are associated [...]
What's the best way to handle a friend or family member's substance abuse? Your first impulse may be to try to "save" your loved one, but there's a fine line between helping and enabling. Understanding how to avoid enabling will make it easier to encourage your loved one to get the treatment they need. Acknowledge [...]
Recovery is a time of new beginnings. For many parents, this means improving their relationship with their children. No matter what challenges your family has faced in the past, there's always hope for a brighter tomorrow and a healthier family dynamic. Self-Care Is Not Selfish Despite the hype over helicopter parents and tiger moms, it's [...]
Although most people think of infidelity and financial issues as the top causes of divorce, addiction is also a factor cited by many couples who are ending their marriages. Drug and alcohol abuse create a dysfunctional home environment that can strain even the most loving of relationships. However, addiction doesn't need to result in divorce [...]
Listening to recovery podcasts can be a wonderful way to support your sobriety while you're commuting, handling household chores, or exercising at the gym. About Podcasts Podcasts are on-demand Internet radio programs that are generally either the monologue of a single speaker or a conversation between a host and one or more guest speakers. You [...]
The opioid epidemic was first declared a public health emergency in 2017. If you are struggling with opioid abuse or believe a loved one may be in need of addiction treatment, there are some important facts to consider as you decide how to best proceed with the recovery process. 1. Over 100 People Die of [...]
With the opioid epidemic making headlines every week, it's understandable to be worried about the risk of addiction if you or someone you love has been prescribed opioids. However, you must remember that opioid medication does play a vital role in the management of chronic pain for certain individuals. It does these patients a disservice [...]
