Prescribed Pain: Exploring The Fine Line of Prescription Opioid Use

Addiction Recovery, Drug Rehab, Opioid Addiction Treatment

In 2023, opioid overdose resulted in the deaths of 217 people every day, as reported by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This number is devastating and shocking – how did we end up here? The answer overwhelming turns to prescribed pain pills. Living with chronic pain can affect nearly all aspects of your life, making it difficult to enjoy socializing, focus on work, and take care of yourself. To treat this debilitating problem, many providers prescribe individuals with opioid pain medications. But you may be wondering,…

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person in session with counselor learning about methadone vs suboxone

Seasons Change, Moods Shift: Recognizing Relapse Risks and Coping with Fall Depression

Drug Addiction Treatment, Recovery

As the days grow shorter and the air turns crisp, many people find their energy and routines shifting. For those in recovery, seasonal change can bring unique challenges—whether that’s an increase in depressive symptoms, new triggers, or subtle signs of relapse. Understanding the connection between mental health and substance use is the first step to protecting progress. Why Seasons Can Impact Recovery Fall and winter often come with fewer daylight hours, colder weather, and disruptions to routines. These changes can intensify feelings of sadness, isolation, or fatigue. For someone in…

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Breaking The Silence: Let’s Talk About Suicide

Mental Health, Recovery

Talking about suicide is never easy – but it is incredibly necessary. The impact felt from suicide goes far beyond one individual – friends, family, coworkers, and entire communities are affected with heavy grief, trauma, and sometimes shame or guilt. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, or NIMH, suicide was the eleventh leading cause of death in the United States in 2022, and the second leading cause of death for individuals between the ages of 10-14 and 25-34 years old. People avoid talking about suicide because it creates…

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Top 8 Misconceptions About Addiction & Recovery

Addiction Recovery, Addiction Treatment Center, Alcohol Addiction Treatment, Recovery

Knowing fact from fiction is critical when it comes to the battle against addiction. While vast strides have been made in the awareness of and support around mental health, there is still a strong misunderstanding of addiction treatment and recovery. These common misconceptions contribute to the stigma of addiction, which is why it is essential for us to learn about the topic.   Here are the top 8 misconceptions about addiction and recovery:   1. Addiction is a choice and a “character flaw.” Although it may be a choice to…

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blue rendering of brain with electrical impulses to show how stimulants and the brain are connected

The Science of Recovery: Why Addiction Is Healthcare, Not a Choice

Addiction Recovery, Addiction Treatment Center, Medication Assisted Treatment, Outpatient Treatment, Substance Abuse Treatment

Insights from BrightView’s Medical and Behavioral Health Experts: Dr. Deana Kimes & Rhonda Roper For too long, addiction has been misunderstood as a weakness, a failure, or a matter of willpower. But science tells a different story — one that reduces stigma, changes treatment, and saves lives. At BrightView, we know recovery is healthcare. It’s not about judgment, it’s about evidence-based medicine, compassionate counseling, and treating the whole person. Addiction Is a Disease, Not a Decision “Addiction is a 100% biological process,” explains Dr. Deana Kimes, BrightView’s Medical Director. “It’s…

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The Ripple Effect of Recovery: Why Harm Reduction Matters

Addiction Recovery, Drug Addiction Treatment, Recovery

Addiction never affects just one life. Neither does recovery. When referral partners—healthcare providers, courts, first responders, and community agencies—connect someone to treatment, the impact spreads far beyond the individual. Families heal, communities stabilize, and public safety improves.   Missy: Why Harm Reduction Saves Lives “If You Can Do It, So Can I”: Missy on Recovery’s Ripple Effect Missy Adams, now a peer support specialist at BrightView, remembers detoxing on a jail cell floor. Today, she equips patients with tools that keep them alive long enough to reach recovery. “For harm…

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The Reset Month: Why August Is the Perfect Time to Realign in Recovery

Recovery

August doesn’t get the credit it deserves. It’s not a big resolution month. It’s not festive or reflective. It’s the breath before everything speeds up—the calm before fall schedules, back-to-school pressures, and holiday stress. But maybe that’s exactly what makes it so powerful. In recovery, we often wait for a breaking point to “start over.” But what if we reframed this moment—not as a relapse response or a dramatic overhaul, but as a gentle reset? A chance to pause, reflect, and realign. “Reset doesn’t mean starting over,” says Katie Spencer,…

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Understanding Overdose: Risk Factors, Warning Signs, and How to Save a Life

Addiction Recovery, Addiction Treatment Center

Expert Contributions From: Chief Tom Synan, Newtown Police Chief & Founding Member, Hamilton County Addiction Response Coalition and Gilbert Schmidt, State Medical Director, BrightView Each day in the United States, over 150 people die from overdoses involving synthetic opioids like fentanyl, according to the CDC.  Behind that staggering number are parents, siblings, children, friends — each with a story left unfinished. Overdose doesn’t just take lives; it leaves families reeling and communities searching for answers. At BrightView, we believe awareness is the first step toward prevention. That’s why we’re sharing…

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Grief & Recovery: How Loss Can Break Us—Or Make Us Stronger

Addiction Recovery

Contributors: Katie Spencer, LISW-S, Director of Behavioral Health, BrightView; Ruth Irwin, Pastor, Free People Church, Mt. Orab, OH Grief is one of the most universal—and most personal—experiences we face. It shows up differently for everyone. While some people move through it with the support of family or friends, others find themselves overwhelmed, stuck, or adrift. For those in recovery from substance use disorder, grief can become a powerful trigger—or an unexpected turning point. National Grief Awareness Day, recognized on August 30, reminds us of the emotional weight of loss—and the importance…

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Ariel Smith, Outreach Coordinator for BrightView, poses with her daughter on her first day of school.

Back to School, Not Back to Use: Back-to-School Tips for Families in Recovery

Addiction Recovery, Recovery, Rehabilitation, Relapse Prevention, Support Groups

Expert Contribution from Katie Spencer, LISW-S, Behavioral Health Director at BrightView For many parents, the back-to-school season is a blur of supply lists, lunchboxes, and early alarm clocks. For those in recovery, it’s also a time of reflection, stress, and growth. Just ask Ariel Smith, an Outreach Coordinator at BrightView—and a mom of four, two of whom are starting high school and middle school this fall. Ariel has been in active recovery for over 10 years. “I missed my daughter’s first day of school because I was still using,” Ariel…

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