TSP 061: “Connect, Hope, Live” with Brian Bailys, founder of ASCENT Recovery Aftercare Solution!

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Today we have Brian Bailys joining us on The SHAIR Podcast, the founder of Ascent, a drug, alcohol and mental health aftercare solution.

So what is Ascent?

Ascent is dedicated to helping recovering substance-use clients build a foundation for lifelong success. Ascent combines the best that 21st Century technology has to offer with that all-important human touch to help clear the path to recovery. 

Ascent is there wherever and whenever the client needs us. They connect clients with coaches that have lived and breathed what the client is going through. They are there at the right time and place, when the client needs it and wants it. They are an active participant and contributor as the client makes progress on their journey upward and onward. 

Ascent provides:

• One on one coaching using evidence based models
• Clinically tested outcomes based e-recovery tool
• Extensive coach training
• Quality assurance program
• Strict brand adherence
• Coaches that have “lived it”

To learn more go to ourascent.com.

Clean Date: June 13th 2014

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This episode was brought to you by Sober Nation

Here are Brian’s SHAIR Podcast interview highlights:

Omar: So Brian, lets dive right in. Tell us about how your life is today, your hobbies, exercise, take us into your normal daily routine including recovery and tell us just a little bit about Ascent. I know you’re going to go further into it as part of your story but just give us a little brief overview.

Brian:  Okay, my day I work out. I start at 4:45 in the morning, usually at the gym by 5:30, at a meeting by 7 and then into work by 8. I do a fair amount to make sure that I continue my healthy recovery program so that’s my daily routine. In terms of my work, I now work for a company called Ascent. We have an eRecovery tool, an eRecovery solution, to help people with their challenges in recovery.

Omar: Absolutely. What is your daily or your recovery routine look like for the week?

Brian:  It’s six of seven meetings, it’s taking care of myself physically, I work out four to five times a week, I make sure I take the medications as prescribed, I take care of myself spiritually, I make sure I do a lot of things socially and I work with other people in recovery. That’s what I do on a daily/weekly basis.

Omar: Good, I’d like to know a little about your spiritual condition. How do you maintain that conscious contact with a High Power on a daily basis?

Brian:  I pray a lot and I start first thing in the morning. I pray and I do some meditation. Pray throughout the day and make sure that I pray and I’m thankful for all the happenings of the day.

Omar: Beautiful. Let’s start diving in to the past here a little bit Brian. Tell us how old you were the first time you drunk and used drugs … Actually, no. First of all, tell us how much clean time you have and when your anniversary date is.

Brian:  June 13th 2014. My first date was October 22nd 2007.

Omar: All right, you came back two years ago roughly?

Brian:  Right.

Omar: Almost two years ago, all right. Now, tell us about that first experience, the first time you drunk or used drugs… Go ahead.

Brian:  I was 12-years-old I was at a picnic. I remember somebody pouring me a Budweiser in a Styrofoam cup. I can still smell it and I can taste it. I can tell you that I liked it from the first sip.

Omar: It was Budweiser, right?

Brian:  It was Budweiser.

Omar: The worst beer on the planet.

Brian:  Very foamy.

Omar: I do remember that. #1, what was keeping you from getting clean or staying clean when you first got introduced to recovery?

Brian:  Honesty. I wasn’t living an honest program. I wasn’t living an honest life. If you’re not going to be honest in your recovery you get what you put in and I certainly did.

Omar: Absolutely. #2, at what point did you have a spiritual awakening? That aha moment in recovery when you accepted that you were powerless over drugs and alcohol but for the first time had developed the hope that you could recover?

Brian:  Really in that partial hospitalization program I was just beat. Again, I just could barely get my head off the table but there were people telling me just how worthwhile I was. That and the support of my family. My family was absolutely … My friends. I’d so much support but it was the combination of my friends, my family and what I learned in the partial hospitalization program and those people in the partial hospitalization program. That was my aha moment to make that change.

Omar: Beautiful. #3, do you have a favorite book that you would recommend to a newcomer that you read in early recovery?

Brian:  I hope we have the right name it’s ‘Drop the Rock’?

Omar: Yes, it is.

Brian:  That was my favorite.

Omar: I forget who the author is.

Brian:  I forget too.

Omar: Drop the Rock. It was given to me by one of the guys in the program and it had something to … I can’t remember exactly what the … Oh, it’s a Hazelden edition. Yeah, Drop the Rock …

Brian:  Right, it’s about Step Six and Seven I remember … After reading it I remember that I had to go back and redo Six and Seven. It was very enlightening.

Omar: Yeah, Drop the Rock: Removing Character Defects – Steps Six and Seven. Bill P. Todd W. and Sara S. there’s three of them so no wonder we forgot. All right, #4, what is the best suggestion you have ever received?

Brian:  Suspend your disbelief’s. Yeah, suspend your disbelief’s. I was not the Higher Power person. I was a very cynical and sarcastic in my head as I heard people talking the Higher Power. When I finally really really let go life started to get better.

Omar: Beautiful man, I love it. That is great. Then #5, if you could give a newcomer only one suggestion what would that be?

Brian:  Jump right in. Just jump right in and don’t do what I did and wait 10 months before you even begin to fake it. There’s no reason …You’re only going to suffer. Life will get better if you really do the program, if you’re really dedicated to it, but don’t wait around just jump right in.

Omar: Beautiful. The funny thing is that both of these suggestions are just reminiscent with just enormous amount of denial that we have when we first come in. The resistance and the denial is powerful. We truly believe that we are different.

Brian:  True, that was me.

Omar: Suspend disbelief, right?

Brian:  Suspend your disbelief’s.

Omar: Suspend your disbelief’s. That’s a wonderful suggestion and it’s the first time we’ve heard it. I love getting new suggestions so do our listeners.

Brian:  Good.

Thanks again for your SHAIR, Brian!

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Disclaimer – The opinions shared on this show reflect those of the individual speaker and not of any 12 step fellowship as a whole and though we discuss 12 step recovery and the impact it has had in our lives we do not promote or endorse any 12 step anonymous program.