http://www.journeyrecoverycentre.com/, http://www.journeyballito.co.za/

Journey Drug Addiction Rehabilitation Centre, 215 Frances Street, Observatory, Johannesburg (2026)

18/01/2026

For many people, addiction does not begin as a reckless choice. It begins as a way to cope. A way to numb overwhelming feelings, quiet an anxious mind, soften pain that never had space to be felt or understood.

When trauma goes unrecognised or unsupported, substances and behaviours can become a form of survival: an attempt to regulate what feels unbearable inside.

At Journey, we understand that addiction is often rooted in trauma. That is why our approach goes deeper than stopping a behaviour.

Through trauma-informed therapy, compassionate care and holistic treatment, we work with the nervous system, the emotions and the lived experience behind the addiction.

Healing happens when safety is restored, curiosity replaces shame and healthier ways of coping can take root.

Recovery is not about fixing what is “wrong” with you. It is about understanding what happened to you, and learning new ways to feel, connect and live.

17/01/2026

Trauma rarely arrives as a neat, linear story… Often it lives in the body long before it finds words.

In this moment from the movie ‘Sorry, Baby’ (), the lead character Agnes captures something many survivors recognise: knowing that something was deeply wrong, even when memory feels fragmented or distant.

There can be days when it sits heavy in the chest, and others when it disappears entirely. Both can feel unsettling. Even the absence of pain can bring guilt, confusion, or self-doubt.

This push and pull is a common response to trauma. The nervous system learns to protect us by moving between feeling and not feeling, remembering and forgetting.

None of it means you are weak, broken, or “doing it wrong.” It means your body and mind are trying to survive what once felt overwhelming.

At Journey, we understand that healing from trauma is not about forcing memories or emotions to behave. It is about creating safety, compassion, and support so that your story can unfold at its own pace.

You do not have to carry it alone.

16/01/2026

𝐀𝐭 𝐉𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐲 𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐖𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐂𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐞, 𝐰𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐞 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧, 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐲𝐦𝐩𝐭𝐨𝐦𝐬.

Our trauma-informed one-on-one therapy sessions provide a safe, compassionate space where you are truly seen, heard and supported.

Unlike old-school “𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘤𝘬-𝘧𝘪𝘹” talk therapy, our approach is grounded in evidence-based therapeutic practices that help you understand the root causes of addiction and emotional pain.

Through skilled, personalised sessions, our therapeutic team work collaboratively with you to explore trauma, attachment patterns, and unresolved inner child wounds, all of which therapeutic studies have shown can underpin addictive behaviours.

These sessions integrate trauma-sensitive modalities that help regulate the nervous system, build emotional resilience, and strengthen self-compassion.

Healing is not about willpower, it is about rewiring the emotional and biological imprints of trauma so that you no longer feel controlled by cravings or old survival patterns.

𝐎𝐮𝐫 𝐦𝐨𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐩𝐞𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐦𝐨𝐝𝐞𝐥 𝐢𝐬 𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐲, 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐩𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐫 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐞.

It is why our clients experience deeper, more sustainable recovery that honours their individual journey and dignity.

𝑶𝒏𝒆-𝒐𝒏-𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒑𝒚 𝒂𝒕 𝑱𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒏𝒆𝒚 𝒊𝒔 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒍 𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒔𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒎𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒃𝒆𝒈𝒊𝒏.

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15/01/2026

“Come as you are. You may not leave as you were.”

Sam Browne speaks to something deeply human in this poem: the longing to be met without judgement, to be welcomed even when we feel broken, messy, or unsure of who we are beneath the pain.

Addiction and unresolved trauma often convince people they need to be “fixed” before they are worthy of care. This poem gently reminds us of the opposite.

At Journey, we believe healing begins the moment someone feels safe enough to arrive exactly as they are. With their story. Their wounds. Their baggage.

Our trauma-informed approach understands that addiction is not a moral failing, but a response to pain. We create spaces where people can sit, breathe, and slowly rediscover their own warmth again, supported by compassionate professionals who walk alongside them, not ahead of them.

Recovery does not demand perfection. It invites honesty, courage, and connection. When someone steps through our doors, they are not asked to pretend or perform. They are simply welcomed. And while they may not leave as they were, they leave with tools, insight, and hope for a different way of living.

11/01/2026

Addiction is often misunderstood as a moral failing, when in reality it is frequently rooted in unaddressed pain, trauma and loss.

Rumi’s words remind us that our deepest wounds can also become the doorway to profound healing. ❤️‍🩹✨

At Journey, we do not rush past the pain or ask people to “just be strong.” We slow things down, creating space to gently explore the experiences that shaped the addiction in the first place.

Through trauma-informed therapy, holistic care and compassionate connection, clients are supported in transforming pain into insight and resilience.

Healing is not about erasing the past: it is about understanding it, integrating it and allowing growth to emerge from it.

When wounds are met with empathy instead of judgement, recovery becomes not only possible, but meaningful.

If you or a loved one is ready to turn pain into healing, reach out today.

10/01/2026

𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐩𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐫 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐞, 𝐢𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠.

At Journey Recovery & Wellness Centre, South Africa, we believe that substance use is often a response to unresolved emotional pain.

That is why our approach focuses on understanding trauma, building self-compassion, and helping people reconnect with their inner strengths.

𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐧 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭.

Recovery takes time, support, and the right therapeutic environment.

We also work closely with families, because recovery does not happen in isolation, it happens in relationship.

𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞, 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐠𝐨𝐚𝐥 𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐦𝐞:

Sustainable, compassionate, long-term recovery.

𝐈𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐠𝐠𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐨𝐫 𝐢𝐟 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐠𝐠𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐧𝐨𝐰, 𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐨 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧.

08/01/2026

Paris Jackson’s words offer an honest reminder of something we see every day in recovery: getting sober does not magically make life easy.

What sobriety does is remove the numbing, so that life can be felt fully, sometimes beautifully, sometimes painfully. When substances are no longer the coping tool, many people are left face to face with emotions, trauma, anxiety, and depression they have never learned how to manage.

Recovery is not about pretending everything is fine. It is about learning new survival skills, healthier ones, that allow you to meet life as it really is.

Learning to sit with discomfort. Learning to ask for help. Learning to feel without being overwhelmed. Learning to live life on life’s terms, as Paris so powerfully describes.

At Journey, we believe sobriety is the beginning, not the finish line. True healing comes from developing the emotional tools, support systems, and self understanding needed to navigate the hard seasons as well as the good ones.

You do not have to do this alone, and you do not have to already know how to cope. That is what treatment is for.

JourneyRecovery

04/01/2026

Loving someone who is battling addiction can blur the line between care and self-sacrifice.

Boundaries are often misunderstood as rejection or punishment, but in truth they are acts of deep compassion. In this video, Melandri and Thando from our Johannesburg team speak about why setting boundaries matters and, just as importantly, how understanding your motivation behind them can change everything.

Boundaries rooted in fear, guilt, or desperation often crumble. Boundaries grounded in clarity, self-respect, and love create stability for everyone involved. They protect your emotional wellbeing while also giving your loved one the dignity of facing the natural consequences of their choices.

This is not about control. It is about creating space for honesty, accountability, and healing.

Families are often told to “be strong” without being shown how. At Journey, we support families in learning practical, trauma-informed ways to care without enabling, to love without losing themselves, and to stay connected without burning out.

If this conversation resonates with you, you do not have to navigate it alone. Reach out to learn how we can support both you and your loved one.

03/01/2026

Addiction thrives in isolation: in silence, secrecy, shame, and disconnection from self and others. Recovery begins when that isolation is gently broken. Not by willpower alone. Not by white knuckling sobriety. But through safe, meaningful human connection.

Connection looks like being seen without judgement. It looks like learning to trust again, often after years of hurt. It looks like sitting in a group and realising: I am not alone. My story makes sense. My pain is understood. And there is a way forward.

At Journey, healing happens in relationship: with therapists who understand trauma, with peers who walk the same path, and with a team that holds hope when it feels impossible to hold your own.

Sobriety may be part of the journey, but connection is what sustains it. Connection is what helps people rebuild their lives, their families, and their sense of self.

02/01/2026

The start of a new year is often spoken about as a fresh beginning, full of promise and possibility. But for many, it can also arrive quietly, carrying grief, loss, and a deep sense of loneliness.

In this moving video clip, CNN’s Anderson Cooper reminds us that stepping into a new year does not erase what we have lost, or how deeply it still hurts.

He speaks honestly about losing his father shortly after New Year’s Eve in 1977 (when he was only 10), and about how difficult this time of the year can be for those who are missing someone they love or feeling disconnected from the world around them.

His message is one that so many need to hear at the beginning of the year: you are not alone.

At Journey, we believe that healing does not require you to leave your pain behind to “start fresh.” It begins with being seen, supported, and met exactly where you are. A new year can be a continuation of care, not a demand for strength.

If you or someone you love is struggling as this year begins, reach out: support is here.

01/01/2026

As we step into 2026, we do so as one Journey family: grounded in compassion, guided by purpose, and deeply committed to recovery. 💛

This video features some of our wonderful Ballito team, sharing their New Year wishes with the same authenticity and care they bring to their work every day.

While these voices come from our coastal home, they reflect the heart of Journey as a whole: a belief that healing is possible when people are met with dignity, understanding, and the right support.

A new year often arrives quietly, carrying both hope and uncertainty... For many, it raises difficult but important questions: What can change? What needs attention? What can no longer be ignored?

At Journey, we know that meaningful change doesn’t begin with pressure or perfection. It begins with honesty, safety, and the courage to reach out.

If 2026 is the year you choose to prioritise your wellbeing (or to support someone you love in doing the same), our teams in Ballito and Johannesburg are here to walk alongside you, every step of the way.

28/12/2025

Gambling addiction is one of the fastest-growing and most dangerous addictions in South Africa right now, especially in the age of online betting.

In this video, Journey’s client intake liaison Candice Charles speaks honestly about the three most common outcomes of severe, untreated gambling addiction: death, jail, or rehab.

This is not said to shock or shame, but to reflect what decades of clinical and public health evidence continue to show.

Gambling addiction carries one of the highest su***de risks among behavioural addictions worldwide. Financial devastation, secrecy, shame, nervous-system overload, anxiety, and depression can quietly pile up until hope feels out of reach.

𝐆𝐚𝐦𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐝𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐬 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐭-𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐝𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐚𝐝𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐒𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐡 𝐀𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐠𝐥𝐨𝐛𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐲, 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐲 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐚𝐩𝐢𝐝 𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐬.

At Journey Recovery & Wellness Centre in Ballito, South Africa, we speak openly about the reality of severe, untreated gambling addiction, not to shock, but to educate and protect.

𝐃𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐠𝐥𝐨𝐛𝐚𝐥 𝐜𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐜-𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡 𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐠𝐚𝐦𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐝𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐬 𝐥𝐞𝐟𝐭 𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝, 𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐧 𝐟𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬: death, incarceration, or rehabilitation.

→ 𝐃𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡: Gambling disorder carries one of the highest su***de risks of all behavioural addictions worldwide.

The combination of financial devastation, secrecy, shame, nervous-system overload, depression, and hopelessness significantly increases risk.

→ 𝐉𝐚𝐢𝐥: As addiction escalates, individuals may engage in financial crimes they never believed themselves capable of, fraud, theft, or illegal borrowing.

This is not a reflection of moral failure, but of how addiction impairs judgement, impulse control, and stress regulation.

→ 𝐑𝐞𝐡𝐚𝐛: Professional treatment offers the most secure pathway to recovery, addressing not only the compulsive behaviour but also the underlying trauma, emotional pain, and nervous-system dysregulation driving the addiction.

Online gambling is particularly dangerous because it is available 24/7, private, and engineered to activate dopamine-based reward pathways in the brain, the same pathways involved in substance addiction.

𝐎𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐫𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐥𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐤 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐟, 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥-𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐞𝐭𝐥𝐲 𝐞𝐬𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝.

𝑾𝒆 𝒓𝒆𝒈𝒖𝒍𝒂𝒓𝒍𝒚 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒊𝒎𝒑𝒂𝒄𝒕:

• Life savings depleted.
• Bond and rent money lost.
• Retirement funds exhausted.
• Children’s school fees compromised.

Beyond the financial harm, relationships fracture, trust erodes, and individuals internalise profound shame and self-blame.

𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐚 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐟𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠.

Gambling disorder is a recognised, treatable mental health condition, both globally and here in South Africa.

→ Recovery begins when secrecy ends.
→ Help exists.
→ Change is possible.

If you or someone you love is struggling with gambling addiction, professional, trauma-informed support matters.

𝐏𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐜𝐤 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐝𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐨𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐉𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐲 𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 & 𝐖𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐂𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐞.

𝐏𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐚𝐥𝐬𝐨 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐲 𝐛𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐠𝐠𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐬 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭, 𝐧𝐨𝐰.

Journey Drug Addiction Rehabilitation Centre

18/01/2026

17/01/2026

16/01/2026

15/01/2026

11/01/2026

10/01/2026

08/01/2026

04/01/2026

03/01/2026

02/01/2026

01/01/2026

28/12/2025

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