addiction

Like many smaller post-industrial cities, Dayton, Ohio, was hit hard by the Great Recession and continues efforts to transform its business and employee base to meet the needs of our new tech economy. The city also suffers a high poverty rate and has been battling the ongoing opioid crisis.

As society loosens its restrictions on gender roles, it seems the stigma around women drinking alcohol has vanished. According to the National Institutes of Health, drinking habits among women and men are becoming more alike, which could be putting women at greater risk for a variety of alcohol-related dangers. One of the key risk factors is addiction, but another health concern is the link between drinking and the risk for breast cancer.

Medical researchers, educators and tech professionals continue their warnings about children and teens spending too much time on their smartphones.   

While in college, Adi Jaffe began using and dealing drugs, which eventually resulted in his arrest and a year-long prison sentence. Then he began to rebuild his life. He went back to school, earning a Ph.D. from UCLA's doctoral program in psychology.

Joseph House in Over-the-Rhine serves veterans suffering from addiction through treatment and recovery programs designed to promote healthy, sustainable lifestyles and reintegration into the community. Through a variety of programs such as chemical addiction treatment, transitional housing, sober living skills development, relationship counseling and employment assistance, Joseph House helps its clients develop and maintain independence and provides them with the tools to maximize their long-term success.

Cincinnati has been hit hard by the heroin epidemic. At its worst last year, there were 174 overdoses over the course of six days. 

Cincinnati Union Bethel's Off The Streets program has been helping women involved in prostitution and sex trafficking for a decade. 

In just one week this summer, there were more than 175 heroin overdoses reported in the Cincinnati area. 

Recovering addict Mark Hudson looks back on the day when alcohol controlled his life. "I was merely existing. For the previous four years I was just getting up everyday going to work, coming home, no routine. I wasn't giving back. I was just taking."

Discrimination and stigma can create barriers to recovery for people facing mental health issues. But changing perceptions about mental illness can help remove those barriers. Lindner Center of HOPE is holding an Education Day on Sunday, May 3, to enhance awareness of mental illness and addiction, and ultimately, help reduce stigma surrounding these conditions.