Mental Health Month: You Are Not Your Illness

“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 […]

What is #NoMoreShame?

    Stigma surrounding addiction and mental illness has always been an impediment to eradicating the addiction epidemic. Stigma prevents people from asking for help and often causes them to isolate, which is never the answer. There are many organizations today that are working to fight the stigma of addiction, including Stamp Out Stigma, New […]

The Key to Your Loved One’s Recovery is You

Take care of yourself to help your loved one       People in recovery who have strong, involved support systems are more likely to recover than those who don’t. However, if you want to help your loved one get sober you have to remember to take care of yourself also.   You are your […]

The Importance of Self Care

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 […]

Can addiction really lead to this?

Addiction and its Effect on Suicide   Addiction and suicide sometimes, unfortunately, goes hand and hand. A person caught in the depths of addiction can often times see no way out and as a result, believe that their only option is to commit suicide. This is always an extremely sad thing to hear, not only […]

Ohio’s 2017 Behavioral Health Conference

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 […]

September is National Recovery Month

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 […]

New addiction and mental health Twitter Q&A: #AscentChat

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. […]

How Stigma Affects Recovery

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 […]

Not just another statistic

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 […]

A Goodbye Letter To My Addiction

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 […]

An Open Letter To Those With Mental Illness

An open letter to those with mental illness   Guest blog by Lindsey Frazier     Dear reader,   I am so terribly sorry that you suffer from mental illness, but know that you are not alone. I, too, know the stigma that comes along with having mental illness and I know just how hard […]

Before You Decide

Today, we are featuring a blog by a guest reader named Lindsey on suicide and her experiences.       Dear Reader,   I don’t know what you’re struggling with, what has brought you to this point, but I hope you will take a minute to read this..   I know where you’re at, the […]

Addiction-recovery treatment plans that work

An addiction-recovery treatment plan       As a post-parent coach, Jane Adams PhD, has counseled many parents who’ve had to cope with a young adult’s substance abuse. She has followed them through the bewildering array of options for addicts, ranging from in-patient rehab to day treatment, 12-step programs to individualized or family therapy. Depending […]

4 of the best organizations that offer addiction-recovery coaching

Where to find addiction-recovery coaching         Addiction-recovery coaching might sound unfamiliar to most people. For a long time, people have entered rehab or treatment facilities in order to find recovery. Many individuals have experienced successful recovery from addiction while in these facilities, but struggle with remaining in recovery after they leave. That […]

7 of the best addiction recovery apps

7 apps for addiction-recovery   In today’s mobile age, innovations are constantly being made to improve industry methods. That is no different in the recovery industry. Sure, scheduled meetings in physical locations are still common and effective for many people in recovery. Mobile apps, however, are quickly changing–and improving–how people in recovery stay connected to […]

Addiction Recovery App at the Ohio Recovery Conference

Ascent’s presentation at the 2016 Ohio Recovery Conference   Ohio’s 2016 Recovery Conference is quickly approaching. This conference will take place on June 1-2, 2016 and offer education to individuals in recovery and their family members throughout Ohio. This year’s hosts are the Ohio Association of County Behavioral Health Authorities and the Ohio Department of Mental […]

Let Your Voice Be Heard For Mental Health Awareness Month

What to know about Mental Health Awareness Month   It’s hard to believe that May is already here. Summer is fast approaching and so are many great mental health and addiction events. The arrival of May also means more awareness around mental health. Yes, May is mental health awareness month so we have decided to […]

A new type of addiction-recovery app: The Ascent solution

What is addiction, really? ad·dic·tion əˈdikSH(ə)n/ noun noun: addiction; plural noun: addictions the fact or condition of being addicted to a particular substance, thing, or activity. “Addiction is a chronic, often relapsing brain disease that causes compulsive drug seeking and use, despite harmful consequences to the addicted individual and to those around him or her. Although the […]

Learning about the Opiate Epidemic: Ohio’s 2016 Opiate Conference

Addiction recovery conferences and the Ascent app   A couple of weeks ago we wrote about some of the events we would be attending this year relating to addiction and mental health. One of those events is the Ohio Opiate Conference which is being held in Columbus, Ohio next Monday and Tuesday and the other […]

Upcoming Recovery and Mental Health Events

Places to find Ascent Last week we wrote about all of the events popping up regarding addiction and mental health in Ohio and throughout the country. In order to expound on that fact and give readers additional insight into some of these events, we are going to outline some of the upcoming events that Ascent […]

Ideas that Work: Fighting the Drug Epidemic

Organizations fighting the drug epidemic There are informational and inspiring events taking place all over the country pertaining to mental health and the drug epidemics. In Ohio alone, we are seeing more of these type of events pop up. As we look to continue to learn and spread the word about the Ascent solution, we have […]

The Impact of the National Rx Drug Summit

This year’s National Rx Drug Summit in Atlanta kicked off on March 28th and goes through March 31st. The Summit is the largest collaboration of professionals in the nation from all different industries impacted by Rx drug abuse. The event was organized by Kentucky Congressman Hal Rogers and consisted of some powerful panels.   One […]