Escape from Hell. (Share your story)

So there is a ton of discussions on the boards from people who feel they are getting screwed in ranked, it often seems like there is really no way out especially when almost everyone you talk to or see talking about it is going through the same thing. It's really easy for people to get stuck with their game and not see where they can improve or how good they can get when you get bombarded with so much uncontrollable problems and challenges from other players, I know there are a ton of players out there who can get better and rise up but are blinded by the trollage.

What helps me immensely and I hope will help others is hearing from people who've climbed out of bronze/silver, faced the same challenges we are, and discovered what they were missing to change the game.

So all of you that have climbed from the pits of hell, please share your story and 2 or 3 tips that changed the game for you!