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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. […]
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, […]
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. […]
Families of people in recovery need treatment too Most illness affects the family of the person afflicted. From having to watch their loved one suffer, to having to possibly put their career on hold in order to offer care, to the emotional stress of not knowing if the person you love is […]
Ohio is at the top of the list for opioid overdoses It is fair to say that just about every state in the country has felt the ramifications of the opioid epidemic. Drugs like Oxycontin, Fentanyl, and heroin have ravaged communities throughout the nation, leaving thousands of families grieving the loss of […]
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 […]
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 […]
Opioid abuse and the dangerous epidemic It is no secret that synthetic opioids have become a huge problem in this country, to the point where President Obama has addressed the issue in an attempt to raise awareness among the population about the potential epidemic that we have on our hands. He has […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Rise2Recovery podcast: industry leaders in addiction and mental health Everyone has a story. Every single person has had experiences that have shaped their life, for better or worse. How each person reacts to those experiences can also affect the outcome. This is especially true for people in recovery or with mental health conditions. Every one […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Mental illnesses are prevalent in the world today and can lead to a variety of other conditions. Despite the efforts of many organizations to create awareness about mental illnesses and the importance of mental health, there still seems to be a lack of knowledge on the subject for many. In order to better explain […]
Sometimes when people in an industry are around like-minded people all the time, certain things are assumed. This can be isolating to people who aren’t accustomed to the same jargon and day-to-day activities. In order to prevent this from happening with our product, we are providing a brief and simple breakdown of exactly what the […]
Statistics on addiction relapse and how to address them Drug and alcohol rehab statistics show that the percentage of people who will relapse after a period of recovery ranges from 50%-90%, according to AlcoholRehab.com. Those are the facts and those numbers are staggering. Ascent’s founder, Brian Bailys, saw this first-hand as 90% of people in […]