Blogs

Phoenix Multisport (Phoenix), a local Colorado non-profit, announces a matching gift challenge totaling $200,000, giving donors an opportunity to double their contributions to help support Phoenix Multisport programming. The mission of Phoenix is to provide a sober, active community for people in recovery from drug and alcohol addiction.

The 2014 Matching Gift Challenge will take place from May 15, 2014 through September 30, 2014. Thanks to a generous donor, the impact of gifts of any size will be matched dollar-for-dollar up to $200,000. Gift matching is automatically activated when a contribution is made to Phoenix Multiport.

Since opening in 2007, more than 12,000 individuals have benefitted from Phoenix’s free programming in Boulder, Colorado Springs and Denver. Through pursuits such as climbing, hiking, running, CrossFit, strength training, yoga, road/mountain biking, Phoenix seeks to help members develop and maintain the emotional strength they need to stay sober. All programs are FREE to individuals with 48 hours of continuous sobriety.

To have your gift matched, simply make a donation between now and September 30, 2014. To make a donation visit www.phoenixmultisport.org. Gifts can also be mailed to Phoenix Multisport, 4735 Walnut St., Suite C, Boulder, CO  80301.

For more information contact Tamara Marks, Development Director, at 303-440-0547 or tamara@phoenixmultisport.org.

 Eating Recovery Center, a national center for eating disorders recovery providing comprehensive treatment for anorexia and bulimia, today announced that it has partnered with Summit Eating Disorders and Outreach Program. Summit is a nationally recognized center for eating disorders treatment and prevention located in Sacramento, Cali.

This partnership allows Summit to expand its partial hospitalization and outpatient treatment options. It also underscores Eating Recovery Center’s ongoing commitment to providing and supporting access to expert eating disorders recovery services.

“We have come to regard Summit as a highly reputable eating disorders treatment center in the Northern California area,” said Craig Johnson, PhD, FAED, CEDS, chief clinical officer of Eating Recovery Center. “We see tremendous value in not only the Summit team’s clinical approach, but also its community awareness and prevention programming.”

Founded in 2000, Summit is the only medically supervised treatment program in the Sacramento area serving adolescents and adults with anorexia, bulimia and binge eating disorder. The treatment center is led by founding partners, Tony Paulson, PhD, executive director, Lisa Peterson, PhD, clinical director, and Jennifer Lombardi, MFT, chief admissions officer.

“Partnering with Eating Recovery Center allows Summit to enhance and further develop our partial hospitalization and outpatient programming by incorporating clinical models developed by the Center’s leadership team,” said Dr. Paulson. “Additionally, the Center’s intensive inpatient and residential programs are valuable resources for Summit’s adult and adolescent patients requiring a higher level of care. We believe this continuity of care is critical in supporting lasting eating disorders recovery.”

Summit’s eating disorders treatment programs offer:

• Comprehensive medical, nutritional and psychological care.
• A philosophy rooted in evidence-based treatments including Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Family Based Treatment.
• Treatments for co-morbid psychological issues, including: anxiety, depression and substance abuse.
• Individualized treatment plans.
• Collaboration with community partners.

“Summit provides highly effective outpatient care to eating disordered patients and is a trusted treatment resource for the community of referring professionals,” said Kenneth L. Weiner, MD, FAED, CEDS, founding partner, chief medical officer and chief executive officer of Eating Recovery Center. “This partnership facilitates expanded reach for the clinical models that have proven highly successful in treating patients at Eating Recovery Center.”

For more information about Eating Recovery Center, visit www.EatingRecoveryCenter.com. To learn more about Summit Eating Disorders and Outreach Program, visit www.sedop.org.

“Living with Schizophrenia: A Call for Hope and Recovery” is a half-hour documentary film that tells the story of three people who are living meaningful lives with schizophrenia, a chronic and potentially disabling brain disorder.  Visit  http://www.hopeandrecoveryfilm.com/videos/trailer.swf to view the documentary trailer.  The film sets out to increase understanding and to reduce the fear and stigma often associated with this mental health condition. About one percent of the US adult population, or 2 million, and approximately 24 million people globally are living with schizophrenia.

“‘Living with Schizophrenia’ highlights the stories that don’t make the headlines – the stories of hope and promise,” said Emily Abt, award-winning filmmaker and director of the film. “My grandmother struggled with schizophrenia, and making this documentary gave me new insights about what it is like to have this illness and overcome the obstacles in life that it presents.”

In the film, viewers journey with three individuals with schizophrenia to experience their daily struggles, personal insights, paths to the mental health recovery process, and the impact their illness has had on those who love them. “Living with Schizophrenia” delves into the lives of Ashley, who after finding effective treatment for her schizophrenia, returned to school and created a blog to share her story with others; Joshua, who was in and out of psychiatric hospitals for six years and now, following his path of mental health recovery, is dedicated to helping others living with the illness; and Rebecca, who spent a decade blaming herself for her diagnosis of paranoid schizophrenia and is now actively involved in her treatment process.

Ashley, Joshua, and Rebecca are joined in the film by their families and experts in schizophrenia, including community-based psychiatrist Rebecca Roma, MD, medical director of the Community Treatment Team at Mercy Behavioral Health in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Xavier Amador, PhD, clinical psychologist and founder and director of the LEAP Institute; and, Dave, president of the Georgia chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). Throughout the film, they share their perspectives and reinforce the message of hope and self-acceptance for people living with schizophrenia.

Schizophrenia is a complex mental disorder whose cause eludes experts to this day.  Researchers have identified various risk factors for schizophrenia, including heredity, brain damage, and environmental factors such as social stress, isolation, and drug use.  The disease typically manifests as abnormal psychological functioning and disturbed behavior. There are currently no physical or lab tests that diagnose the disease; therefore, schizophrenia is diagnosed by the presence of symptom types.

“By sharing the powerful stories of Ashley, Joshua, and Rebecca, we can work to reduce the fear and reduce the stigma, just like we’ve done with so many other issues over the years,” said Dr. Roma. “Deep down inside, we’re all people with different struggles and I learn from my patients every day about the power of perseverance and hope.”

“Living with Schizophrenia” was funded and produced by Janssen, Division of Ortho-McNeil-Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc.  The people featured in the film present their own stories and ideas and were not compensated by Janssen to appear in the film. Janssen products are not named or promoted in the film.

For more information about “Living with Schizophrenia” visit http://www.hopeandrecoveryfilm.com.

• Contrary to popular belief, lactic acid is not what builds up in skeletal muscles - lactate is.  Biochemist used to believe that the body produces lactic acid which immediately turns into lactate after losing a proton.  Now it has been proven that this was incorrect.

• Cortisol levels go down.  Cortisol levels elevate in periods of stress.  Since training is a form of stress on the body, cortisol gets released.  This unfortunately can be catabolic in long term.  When you do not rest enough in between training sessions, your body will go into a state of overtraining and cortisol levels will remain high while insulin levels will remain low.  Since insulin is a great hormone to build tissues, this may lead to performance and/or muscle loss.  Sleeping is a great way to lower the cortisol levels.

• Increased levels of Human Growth Hormone.  When sleeping, your natural levels of HGH get elevated.  This mainly occurs in the later and deeper phases of sleep so when you cut your sleep short, you are missing out on a significant opportunity to recover.   HGH supports muscle recovery, promotes lipolysis (decomposing fat), stimulates the immune system etc.  No doubt this will aid your recovery and performance.

• Higher testosterone levels.  The more and better you sleep, the higher your testosterone levels will be when waking up.  This gives you mental and physical energy and promotes bone and muscle mass since it is an anabolic steroid.  The body produces testosterone itself in men and women.  The levels differ but women have testosterone in their system and men have estrogen in their body.

“Living with Schizophrenia: A Call for Hope and Recovery” is a half-hour documentary film that tells the story of three people who are living meaningful lives with schizophrenia, a chronic and potentially disabling brain disorder.  Visit  http://www.hopeandrecoveryfilm.com/videos/trailer.swf to view the documentary trailer.  The film sets out to increase understanding and to reduce the fear and stigma often associated with this mental health condition. About one percent of the US adult population, or 2 million, and approximately 24 million people globally are living with schizophrenia.

“‘Living with Schizophrenia’ highlights the stories that don’t make the headlines – the stories of hope and promise,” said Emily Abt, award-winning filmmaker and director of the film. “My grandmother struggled with schizophrenia, and making this documentary gave me new insights about what it is like to have this illness and overcome the obstacles in life that it presents.”

In the film, viewers journey with three individuals with schizophrenia to experience their daily struggles, personal insights, paths to the mental health recovery process, and the impact their illness has had on those who love them. “Living with Schizophrenia” delves into the lives of Ashley, who after finding effective treatment for her schizophrenia, returned to school and created a blog to share her story with others; Joshua, who was in and out of psychiatric hospitals for six years and now, following his path of mental health recovery, is dedicated to helping others living with the illness; and Rebecca, who spent a decade blaming herself for her diagnosis of paranoid schizophrenia and is now actively involved in her treatment process.

Ashley, Joshua, and Rebecca are joined in the film by their families and experts in schizophrenia, including community-based psychiatrist Rebecca Roma, MD, medical director of the Community Treatment Team at Mercy Behavioral Health in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Xavier Amador, PhD, clinical psychologist and founder and director of the LEAP Institute; and, Dave, president of the Georgia chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). Throughout the film, they share their perspectives and reinforce the message of hope and self-acceptance for people living with schizophrenia.

Schizophrenia is a complex mental disorder whose cause eludes experts to this day.  Researchers have identified various risk factors for schizophrenia, including heredity, brain damage, and environmental factors such as social stress, isolation, and drug use.  The disease typically manifests as abnormal psychological functioning and disturbed behavior. There are currently no physical or lab tests that diagnose the disease; therefore, schizophrenia is diagnosed by the presence of symptom types.

“By sharing the powerful stories of Ashley, Joshua, and Rebecca, we can work to reduce the fear and reduce the stigma, just like we’ve done with so many other issues over the years,” said Dr. Roma. “Deep down inside, we’re all people with different struggles and I learn from my patients every day about the power of perseverance and hope.”

“Living with Schizophrenia” was funded and produced by Janssen, Division of Ortho-McNeil-Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc.  The people featured in the film present their own stories and ideas and were not compensated by Janssen to appear in the film. Janssen products are not named or promoted in the film.