Opioid addictions can have devastating consequences—ranging from job loss, divorce, or arrest to a fatal overdose. Medication-assisted treatment with Suboxone helps people with opioid use disorders build the foundation for a lasting recovery, but it's often misunderstood. Suboxone Myths To help you make an informed decision about the best way to proceed with your addiction [...]
Feelings of guilt and shame are common in the early stages of recovery, but moving forward requires you to find a way to process your emotions so you're no longer living in the past. Constantly thinking about past mistakes—regardless of their size or severity—can prevent you from making progress in your recovery journey. Sober Strategies [...]
Building the foundation for a lasting recovery involves more than simply abstaining from drugs and alcohol. Addiction affects the mind, body, and spirit—which means lasting recovery requires a holistic approach. At St. Joseph Institute for Addiction, we encourage you to explore your spirituality as part of our comprehensive treatment approach. Benefits of Spirituality in Addiction [...]
My name is Kris and I am an alcoholic. I started drinking on a daily basis 22 years ago. At the time, I used alcohol as a crutch to get over a difficult event in my life. What that event was is not important. What IS important is that I continued to drink even after [...]
It is part of our culture, our daily practices, perhaps even our DNA: the desire to do things faster, easier, and with minimal sacrifice. Let’s face it. We want shortcuts. While finding a quicker route to the grocery store can help us save time and even gas money, when we try to take shortcuts to self-improvement, we often [...]
It’s time for change. Each year the statistics for addiction and its impact on individuals, families, businesses, and communities are released, piling on those from the previous year. Sadly, the numbers keep getting worse: more people die, more accidents occur, more people go to jail, and too few seek help. Let’s make this year different. [...]
The people in the room have seen addiction destroy their careers, relationships and many of their dreams. They often feel anger, frustration and a sense of hopelessness. No one disagrees that “addiction sucks.” So when I ask the question “do you think that you could be a grateful addict,” there are always members of the [...]
People often ask us “what does faith-based mean?” “Does it mean that you will be preaching at me?” “Will I be welcome if I don’t participate in organized religion?” “Can you help me re-connect with my faith?” These are important questions. In a world where all-to-often we see people seeking to impose their beliefs on [...]
For decades addiction treatment has followed a common path; using 12 Step groups and regular meetings for addicts and alcoholics. However, the rapidly expanding knowledge of addiction and the workings of the human mind is leading to new approaches that are proving valuable in treating this chronic disease. While most treatment centers treat only the [...]
I spend a lot of time talking to families determined to find help for a loved one who is addicted to drugs. Inevitably the conversation includes the questions: “Aren’t there some medications that will make them stop?” “I’ve heard about Suboxone, is that the answer?” “Will Vivitrol cure my son’s addiction?” How wonderful it would [...]
