We had the good fortune of connecting with Ashley Roberts and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ashley, is your business focused on helping the community? If so, how?
There are so many things that any one person can be dealing with at any given time, and some may be easier to handle than others. And some of those more difficult ones can also come with the added challenge of not being as acceptable nor talked about as much. My name is Ashley, and my now-husband is in recovery for drug addiction. It’s something that we have been dealing with for years, and while that whole topic is under-acknowledged in itself, the role of the partner is even more so.
So many people struggle as I have, and when I was in the thick of it, I had very few places to turn. I searched high and low, and had difficulties finding a resource that was made from the perspective of someone like me. Of course, there are some, such as Nar-Anon and other program meetings, but to have a personal account with no rules on how to share is invaluable.
And that’s why I created my site www.ashleyspeaksup.com.
I wanted to be that friend and resource for others like I wish I had in my most difficult of times. I want to do what I can to start a conversation on these more hush-hush of issues. I want people to understand more of what it is like to be someone in my shoes, and to show that there is so much more at play than what outside perspectives can show. And I want people to feel more comfortable to start their own healing, while also opening up to continue the conversations that help us all.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I primarily focus on writing, although I do have other forms of media as well. It’s something I really enjoy doing, and can easily go from sharing a story to tying it in to a valuable lesson I learned from it.
Since starting my journey I have come into contact with so many people doing things similar to me in their own fields, and in the past few months even finding people more similar to myself, but I have noticed that the common factor in relating to others is through the pain and suffering we have endured. And while that certainly is a common theme we experience, I believe that there is so much more to our journey and even our community besides that.
I strive to show that suffering is something you can choose to identify with, and not something you are stuck with. For years I thought that I had to live my life in misery as a result of my husband’s choices, and that this was all I was able to do, but that is certainly not the case. Even in his worst moments I was able to find a better way of living, and I want to show others that it is very attainable for them as well.
We can always find a better way of feeling, and through focusing on ourselves first, we learn what we need to know about ourselves at every level to make sure we doing the most we can for our health and happiness. And from there, we can choose what to do next, how to ensure we are always doing what is right for us, and how to support our partners in both a loving and healthy way.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I am more of a quiet type, so I would definitely show them more of the introspective and slow-paced parts of the area. I’m always down for stopping at a grocery store for snacks and heading to a hiking spot for the day, like Red Rock Canyon Park in Topanga, and then getting a little dressed up and going to the dreamy Inn of the Seventh Ray for dinner (my husband and I celebrated our anniversary here!). Can’t visit So Cal without heading to the beach, so of course we have to go to my favorite spots as well! I like to take a stroll down Venice Beach to check out the shops, as well as Zuma Beach in Malibu. Make sure you check out Kippy’s in Venice for some awesome dairy free ice cream!

Website: www.ashleyspeaksup.com

Instagram: @ashleyspeaksup

Twitter: @ashleyspeaksup

Facebook: @ashleyspeaksup

Youtube: Ashley Roberts

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