Relapse is a concern for anyone in early recovery and for the people who love them. Much research has been done into the causes of relapse over the past 20 years in an effort to make addiction treatment more effective. This has paid off in the form of modern alcohol and drug treatment centers like … Continued
Is Alcohol Inflammatory? Does drinking alcohol cause inflammation in the body? This is a question that many people ask, and unfortunately, it’s not an easy one to answer. Most of us know alcohol causes all kinds of health problems: heart problems, gut problems, immune system problems. Just about every body system can be negatively affected … Continued
Understanding meth Induced psychosis Methamphetamine, more commonly known as meth, is an illicit drug with a wide range of both short- and long-term effects. One of the most serious of these is a condition referred to as “meth-induced psychosis”. Meth Psychosis is a state in which individuals experience an altered reality characterized by paranoia, hallucinations, … Continued
Addiction or pregnancy by themselves are among the most challenging things a person can face in their lifetime. So facing addiction while you’re pregnant is a lot for any one person to handle. If you or someone you love is pregnant and addicted, rest assured that they aren’t the first person ever to face this … Continued
The holiday season can be filled with joy and reunions with loved ones, but it is also a source of stress and anxiety for many people. People in recovery from addiction in particular may be concerned about staying sober during the holidays. Even if they manage well most of the time, a Christmas, Hanukkah or … Continued
If you are a drinker or use drugs, you may be wondering – am i a bad mom? The truth is that you probably aren’t a bad mom, you just have a bad disease. It is a medical condition just like cancer, diabetes, heart disease, PTSD and a range of other conditions. It is chronic, … Continued
Abusing alcohol and drugs while pregnant can cause harm to you and your baby. For example, pregnant women who abuse alcohol and drugs regularly may have their babies born addicted to drugs. If you are pregnant or plan to be and you abuse alcohol and drugs, please reach out to our Journey Pure at the … Continued
Do the upcoming holidays have you feeling stressed? If so, you aren’t alone. Unfortunately, even though there is a lot of happiness and joy around the holidays, there is also time crunching chaos at times, too. If you are in recovery from a mental health disorder or addiction, the holiday stress may get to you … Continued
Why Do Addicts Relapse When Things Are Good? A common question among friends and family of those who have done the work and achieved sobriety: Why relapse when things are going well? It can seem like a mystery from the outside, but the reality of substance use disorders is that they are lifelong diseases. … Continued
Addiction is a family disease that affects the person in the addictive pattern, the rest of their family, and the people they surround themselves with. Family members must endure the chaos of addiction while living with someone with a substance abuse disorder (SUD). Dealing with the chaos can cause them to adopt coping strategies that … Continued
There’s a significant improvement to the quality of life someone leads before and after addiction. Addiction is similar to other chronic conditions including ways such as: being preventable it’s treatable it changed biology if left untreated, it has the ability to last a lifetime Substance use disorder treatment gives people the tools needed to take … Continued
When someone has a substance use disorder (SUD), their whole family can feel the effects. Often, families are stretched to the breaking point, maybe beyond, in their attempts to deal with the “problem.” Addiction can cause issues such as manipulative behaviors, fear of judgment, and anguish or guilt over its effects on the family. Why … Continued
What fueled your passion for helping those who struggle with addiction and mental health disorders, and what brought you to Journey Pure? I was a Sergeant with the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office and I was over our Mounted Patrol unit. We kept our horses at the Journey Pure facility. When I left the department, I … Continued
Six years ago, I had my last drink. I was in the Minneapolis airport in active withdrawal on my way to Nashville to check into treatment one last time. This “one last drink” approach had an oddly satisfying, familiar feeling to it – it always offered me the comfort of perceived control. However, this time … Continued
What fueled your passion for helping those who struggle with addiction and mental health disorders, and what brought you to Journey Pure? I have had jobs. I have had a previous career. This is a calling. Six years ago, I had my last drink. I was in the Minneapolis airport in active withdrawal on my way to … Continued
The most critical key to reducing the stigma around addiction is understanding that addiction is a complicated disease of the brain, not a moral failing. Odds are, many people you know deal directly with addiction. One in seven Americans suffers from a substance use disorder. People with substance use disorder come from all walks of … Continued
If you have the luxury of a little time to prepare before you enter in-patient drug addiction treatment, you are sure to be overcome with questions. In addition to the unknowns of treatment itself comes the laundry list of unfinished tasks and “to-dos” you didn’t quite get to before your program begins. The truth is, … Continued
Editor’s Note: Your Brain on Drugs has been updated for 2022. Since this article was first published in 2017, just five years ago, incredible advances have been made in understanding addiction and how it affects our loved ones and us. Marijuana is now legal for recreational use in many states, and psychedelics are being touted … Continued
Addiction is a chronic disease that can negatively affect a person’s life and health. What many people don’t know is that addiction is a family disease. It doesn’t just make the sufferer sick, it also harms their loved ones, colleagues, and acquaintances. One of the casualties of a battle with addiction is the trail of … Continued