From the Podcast: Noa Shaw – Alcohol and Drugs Stole His Happiness, and SoulCycle Brought It Back One Class at a Time
Noa Shaw was born in 1963 in The Bronx. He moved with his family multiple times before moving to Connecticut at age 14. By this time, he had been drinking for 4 years and had attended 9 different schools, many of which he was kicked…
How Employers Can Add Critical Benefits and Lower Costs
Several months ago we wrote about the importance of having a telehealth or virtual care component to your health benefits package. We’ve been proponents of telehealth since we founded Lionrock as a telehealth provider of substance use disorder (SUD) treatment and recovery services 10 years…
Reminder: Substance Use Disorder is Not a Weakness
Substance use disorder (SUD) is an illness. This is a fact. At Lionrock, we’ve known this all along. In 2016, then Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, M.D. stated it publicly, saying of SUD, “It is not a moral failing, or evidence of a character flaw, but…
What You Should Know About Women and SUD
Women, generally speaking, face and deal with substance use differently than men do. The National Institute on Drug Abuse points out: “Women use drugs in smaller amounts than men, but they can experience the effects more strongly. Substance use in women tends to develop into…
From the Podcast: Amanda Hoffman – Living As A High-Functioning Alcoholic
After a very short and severe battle with alcohol, Amanda Hoffman admitted herself to McLean Hospital in Belmont, Massachusetts where she underwent a medical detox and then entered the Lionrock Recovery Intensive Outpatient Program. Today, Amanda is a wife and mother of two girls. She’s…
From the Podcast: Andre Roberts – A Special Bonus Episode on Recovering from Addiction and a Segregated Childhood
In this special bonus episode, Ashley interviews Andre Roberts, a personal trainer and tennis instructor currently living in Beverly Hills. Born and raised in Milwaukee, WI, Andre was raised in a single parent household with his two siblings. He experienced ongoing trauma as a child,…
From the Podcast: Kimberly Russell: Surviving A Suicide Attempt and Learning to Trust the Process In Sobriety
In episode 33 of The Courage to Change: A Recovery Podcast, Kimberly Russell and host Ashley Loeb Blassingame talked about Kimberly’s incredible road to sobriety. We’ve edited and condensed Kimberly’s story for a fast read. You can listen to the entire interview here. Early Years…
4 Mental Health Resources for Black Lives Matter Protestors and Allies
Despite the fact the news cycle has shifted back toward COVID and appears to be less focused on Black Lives Matter protests across the country, Americans are still calling for and working toward racial equality and social justice. Especially now, as black, Indigenous and people…
From the Podcast: Emily McAllister – Overcoming Bulimia and Substance Abuse Recovery
In Episode seven of The Courage To Change: A Recovery Podcast, Emily shared her story with her close friend, and our podcast host Ashley Loeb Blassingame. We’ve edited and condensed it here for a fast read. You can listen to the entire interview here. Growing…
Health Insurance Plans Must Account for Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Treatment. Does yours?
magine your employee has a chronic illness – diabetes or Crohn’s disease, for example. You would expect the health plan you provide would pay for deductibles and copayments and other standard medical claims, right? Is it the same if your employee is experiencing anxiety or…