Connect. Hope. Live.
The benefits of emotional sobriety It’s no secret that every addict struggles with the foundational inability to shift our thinking and successfully process emotion. The common theme for my upbringing was complete and utter avoidance. If I didn’t like the way I was feeling or the way a relationship was unfolding, I’d avoid […]
Five of the most common mental illnesses affecting teens Our teen years are the most formative, bridging the path from childhood into adulthood and determining what kind of person we grow into. While we can write off strange behaviors or disturbing thoughts in children as nothing more than personality quirks that will soon […]
The Benefits of Online Therapy When one thinks of therapy, they imagine someone lying on a couch, talking about their life, while a therapist scribbles everything down on their notepad. Many don’t imagine therapy as someone chatting through their phone while on their commute, or video chatting with their therapist inside their home. […]
Register for Mental Health First Aid Training With 1 in 4 experiencing mental illness in their lifetime, you’re much more likely to encounter someone in a mental health crisis than someone having a heart attack. Learn how to help with this groundbreaking public education program. Ascent can help facilitate this training for agencies. […]
There are types of depression you may experience in recovery A common event that a recovering addict may experience during their recovery is depression. This can occur for multiple reasons: the body needs to heal from the damages of drugs, the recovering addict must confront emotions and thoughts that may have been otherwise […]
Overcoming the guilt of your past in recovery When you’re in early recovery, there are so many things to worry about. You’re battling physical symptoms along with constant cravings. You barely have time for guilt. But once the physical symptoms subside and you get a small handle on cravings, it’s as if you […]
Many people think they are immune to mental illnesses because of some reason or another. For example, some say they cannot be depressed because they have such a great life or there is no way they could ever have an anxiety disorder because they are never stressed out. Well, the truth is, […]
7 workouts to help you physically and mentally “Exercise” isn’t just about caring for your physical body. We also have our mental, emotional, spiritual, and social welfare that needs our attention. Fortunately, just about anything that increases our heart rate releases endorphins, that “feel good” hormone. For those in addiction management or recovery, […]
Drugs have no place at a party A party is meant to be a great time, not a place where people become potential addicts and are put in harm’s way. The demographic that is most susceptible to […]
You are not your addiction Not long ago, anyone who found themselves addicted to drugs would become an instant social outcast. They were labeled as derelicts without any drive or ambition. People saw their manipulative behaviors as part of their personalities instead of what they really are: part of a disease. […]
Addiction and mental health recovery app ASCENT prepares for launch with special pre-launch campaign For Immediate Release For More Information: Wade Foley, […]
Recovery can change your life, for the better The beginning stages of addiction are full of smoke and mirrors. With both alcohol and some drugs, it can seem like an avenue to make more friends, feel more at ease […]
What would you do if you got stranded in the airport? Most people dread missing a connecting flight and being stranded in an airport for a few hours, let alone all night. Well for Mahshid Mazooji that’s exactly what happened. She missed her connecting flight at the Charlotte Douglas International Airport and was stranded […]
Sarah Fader, CEO of Stigma Fighters, shared some of her story with us for Mental Health Month. She also wrote about mental illness, what […]
“You are not your illness. You have an individual story to tell. You have a name, a history, a personality. Staying yourself is part of the battle.” – Julian Siefter For Mental Health Month, our very own Jody Morgan has shared part of her story with us. I started working in the mental […]
Why it is important to prioritize self-care It is so easy in the fast paced modern society that we live in to forget to stop, breath, and take care of ourselves. We can get so caught up in the daily goings on, the schedules, and the obligations that we completely neglect the […]
The emergence of opioid dependence among adolescents Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health just completed a research study focusing on the emergence of opioid dependence among adolescents, ages 12-17, emerging adults, ages 18-25, and young adults, ages 26-34, over the past ten year. The study found that there was a 37 […]
How Peer Support Helps People With Addiction Peer support has been used as a means to help people in recovery from alcoholism and addiction for almost a hundred years now. Starting with groups such as the Oxford Group, a precursor to Alcoholics Anonymous, people […]
Moving forward in recovery-oriented systems of care Ohio’s 2017 Behavioral Health Conference is coming up soon and we wanted to share some information about the event with you. The conference is taking place on January 10-11 at the Hyatt Regency in Columbus, Ohio. The theme for this year’s conference is “Moving Forward in […]
How technology can support your recovery There was a time when the only technologies that were available to aid you in your recovery were the telephone and the printing press. This, however, is not the case today and there are now hundreds of applications and technology to support your recovery. These will come in […]
The Importance of National Recovery Month September 1st marks the beginning of the 27th National Recovery Month. National Recovery Month is intended as a month to educate the American population on the benefits that substance abuse treatment and other mental health services can offer to those struggling with substance abuse problems or mental […]
Steps to take to support loved ones struggling with addiction and mental illness Having a family member who is struggling with addiction or a mental illness can be heartbreaking for the family. A feeling of powerlessness can accompany such a situation as family members stand by helpless, unaware of what they can do. Often […]
Twitter chats: getting others involved on the social platform by asking questions and engaging with other people’s answers. Twitter chats are a great way to educate and involve other individuals and businesses on Twitter. It is a group of people coming together and providing their thoughts and advice on the topic that the host chooses. […]
The stigma of addiction and mental illness As far as we’ve come as a society in our understanding of addiction there is still an overarching societal stigma that comes with being an addict or an alcoholic. The pervasive thought being that addicts and alcoholics are some shadowy figures lurking around the corner ready to […]
Lindsey from Crazysobergirl wrote about some great ways to use a blank notebook as a coping mechanism for addiction. In recovery, ideas like these can be very beneficial and useful. Check out her ideas below. I don’t know about […]
The story of recovery coach: Chris Hall As Ascent continues to grow and expand to new treatment centers, we are constantly reminded just how invaluable our coaches and support team are. Without recovery coaches and supervisors being accessible 24/7/365, Ascent wouldn’t be what it is. These coaches make it possible for people in recovery to […]
The Importance Of Peers And Mentors In Recovery Recovery is a journey, and if you are new to it, the whole thing may be mysterious. What does it mean to live a life of recovery? How will you do it? What happens when you have cravings or run into problems? A Guide To […]
We are more than just a statistic Often times it is difficult to look beyond the statistics in life. This can be especially true for anyone living with addiction or mental illness. Guest blogger Victoria Jones is here, however, to share her story and why it is important to realize that you are more […]
Goodbye, addiction… Many of us would love to write a goodbye letter to our addictions. It’s a good exercise to voice how addiction made you feel and how you feel now that you are in recovery. And if you are still trying to find recovery, well then, it’s a great way to start that […]
The benefits of technology for the treatment community Technology is a big part of our everyday lives. Mobile phones and apps, tablets, laptops and social media have allowed us to be connected in ways most of us would never have dreamed of just two decades ago. Some people believe that all this technology […]