Addiction Recovery

Tips For Sober Halloween,

Sober Halloween Celebration Ideas

Halloween celebrations are often a core childhood memory for people across the nation. Well into adulthood, people can recall their most frightening costumes, their biggest candy stashes, and the scents and temperatures of the cold fall nights of trick-or-treating. However,

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Addiction Recovery MedicineTranscranial Magnetic Stimulation, EMDR Therapy, Stellate Ganglion Block (SGB)

New Treatments to Try in Addiction Recovery

St. Gregory Recovery Center proudly provides alcohol and substance addiction recovery programs to the Bayard and Des Moines communities, with both intensive outpatient and residential pathways to sobriety.  We’re always interested in new, scientifically supported methods of treatment and therapies,

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Lodge by the Lake Alumni event

June Newsletter

Employee Spotlight Sammarra Platt-Smith Business Office Manager I am the Business Office Manager at St. Gregory and Ivory Plains.  I work with clients to understand insurance billing and their portion of payment.  I also process Accounts payable which makes sure

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The Best Sober Summer Activities, Fun Activities in Des Moines 

The Best Sober Summer Activities

Playtime isn’t just for kids—adults need to have fun regularly for the sake of their social, physical, and mental well-being. Luckily, the medical world takes play seriously, and extensive efforts have been made to research the neurological, emotional, and physical

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Journaling in recovery

Tips For Journaling in Addiction Recovery

In 1996, a popular kids’ film, Harriet the Spy, was released. It focused on an 11-year-old girl who observed the world around her and documented her judgments in a journal. When her journal is discovered by her friends, it causes

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Anger management

Understanding Anger and How It Affects Recovery

Are you angry and frustrated all the time? Have your behavior and poor choices made others angry with you?  Anger is a state of feeling frustrated, irritated, or enraged after experiencing negative internal or external triggers. While anger is a

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How Financial Strain Can Trigger Relapse, Relapse Triggers

When and Why Relapse Spikes

Are you more at risk for relapse at certain times of year or in certain situations? The honest answer is: yes.  Relapse is a universal experience, but it finds us in unique ways and through triggers that may look or

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How To Build Resilience in Recovery

How To Build Resilience in Recovery

When individuals in recovery hear the term resilience, they may think of a quality they don’t possess—or a challenge they doubt they’ll be able to overcome. What many don’t realize is that there’s an entire field of scientific research dedicated

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Addiction Recovery and Sobriety Podcasts for 2024, Sobriety Podcasts

Addiction Recovery and Sobriety Podcasts for 2024

Podcasts are almost always entertaining, often uplifting, many times educational, and, honestly, great for your mental health. They’re an awesome way to stay connected to others, stimulate your mind, and learn—all while driving, cleaning, exercising, or simply relaxing.  We’ve chosen

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St. Valentine and Addiction Recovery, What St. Valentine Can Teach Us About Addiction

What St. Valentine Can Teach Us About Addiction

Who was St. Valentine, and why does his name invoke a spirit of love and appreciation every year on February 14th? Some scholars say that Valentine could have been one of several people with the same name who was persecuted

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Types of Therapy in Recovery, What Types of Therapy Are Most Effective in Recovery?,

What Types of Therapy Are Most Effective in Recovery?

If the word therapy sends you running for the hills, you’re not alone. At St. Gregory Recovery Center, we understand why many people feel hesitant to begin therapy. It’s intimidating to be vulnerable with a stranger, even when that person

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Reasons to enter addiction treatment

5 Reasons to Enter Treatment Over the Holidays

If you are struggling with substance use and thinking about getting help, don’t let the holiday season delay your treatment. Even though it might seem selfish or wrong to skip out on all of the family activities in December so

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Give Back, manage holiday stress, Giving Back Versus Giving Gifts

Giving Back Versus Giving Gifts

As we approach the season of gift-buying and giving, the financial burden can feel a little overwhelming depending on the size of your family and friend group and their expectations. Even though it’s fun to exchange gifts, gift-giving can easily

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Here’s to a Happy, Sober Thanksgiving

Here’s to a Happy, Sober Thanksgiving

It’s a beautiful time of year, as October comes to a colorful end and November brings shorter days and the welcome break of Thanksgiving. Whether you look forward to the holiday or not will depend on many things: your work

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Telling A Partner You're In Recovery, Dating Post-Recovery, Tips For Telling A Partner You're In Recovery

How To Tell Someone You’re Dating That You’re In Recovery

Everyone deserves love and mutual support, whether or not they’re recovering from a substance use disorder. However, when it comes to intimate relationships, it’s important to understand that not everyone will be comfortable dating someone in recovery. That stance should

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Christian Values in Addiction Recovery

Christian Values That Support Recovery

Core Christian values could be widely disputed, but it’s probably safe to say that the foundation of Christianity is based on loving God—a higher power—and loving others as you love yourself. Forgiveness is also an essential aspect of Christianity; the

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Engaging With Your Community After Recovery

Engaging With Your Community After Recovery

While completing St. Gregory’s addiction treatment program is an awesome achievement, sustaining your sobriety relies on community engagement for the best outcome. That’s why we specialize in bolstering your success with our intensive outpatient programs (IOPs) that include—but aren’t limited

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Should Forgiveness Be Part of Your Recovery?

Should Forgiveness Be Part of Your Recovery?

Forgiveness is a loaded word. It has religious connotations and is associated with words like sin and repentance, both of which can feel problematic for many people. No one can tell you to forgive someone who has hurt you. Only

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