police man with the words big ideas big impact

THE BIG IDEA: 2019

Articles by Jeff McGinnis, Jason Webber, Sonny Forrest, and Athena Cocoves. Photos by Nick Amrhein, taken in the beautiful lobby of Renaissance Toledo, which was graciously provided by the downtown hotel. Progress starts with an idea, but not every idea gives rise to a movement. Passion, hard work, compassion and courage transform an idea into…

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a woman uses exercise to combat drug addiction

Exercise and Drug Addiction

Eating healthy, exercise, and drug addiction may seem like an odd combination. Recent studies show that exercise could decrease substance abuse and reinforce abstinence, while healthy eating may increase mood and long-term recovery. Exercising while using drugs is not recommended and could be very dangerous due to increased or decreased heart rate, blood pressure, and…

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stigma in block letters

Stigma of Addiction

The Stigma of Addiction The stigma of addiction is keeping people from asking for help. Stigma is a “mark of disgrace,” it is discrimination against someone for being different than the rest, it is a negative judgment. I’m not sure when being different from everyone else became a bad thing, or why we think badly…

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substance use disorder check box

Am I an Addict?

Am I an addict or am I experimenting? There is a fine line between trying and abusing. So how does good, clean, experimenting become an addiction? Many people don’t even realize they’ve crossed the line between trying and abusing drugs and alcohol. The chances are if you have to ask yourself “am I an addict,”…

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