Month: November 2020

November 11, 2020

How Can I Possibly Have Hope for the Future?

Posted by Jaywalker in Lifestyle, Recovery
hope

Alcoholism and addiction are devastating diseases. They can wreck entire lives, including those around the sufferer. They can also cause major issues physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. If we are lucky, these issues won’t be permanent. But even if some are, there is help available that can improve our lives and stop the wreckage from growing larger.  Even with help available — even with help as effective and restorative as the 12-Step program of recovery — the road to freedom and rebuilding our life can seem overwhelming and too long, if not impossible. This can go hand-in-hand with a common side effect of alcoholism and addiction: depression. Combine the emotional devastation with how hard the road ahead seems and it can seem like having hope for the future is a fool’s errand. This is just a little backward. The chance for recovery is not about suffering from or for our…

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November 9, 2020

The Power of Choice in Recovery

Posted by Jaywalker in Recovery
choices

Nobody likes to feel powerless. It goes against our nature to readily admit that we have no control. So many of our mental and emotional processes are meant to give us a sense of power and control. These inner workings are quite problematic for many, often leading to stress, pain, and struggle. Therefore, it is truly fortunate that alcoholics and addicts are faced with the admission of powerlessness and unmanageability as the 1st-Step to recovery. Indeed, no one likes making this admission. Yet those who honestly confess that they are powerless over alcoholism and addiction and that their lives are unmanageable can see and feel the first signs of freedom and peace begin almost immediately. It is one of the gifts of alcoholism and addiction, for those who are lucky enough and willing enough to enter recovery. Life is no longer a vain struggle for power and control, so we…

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November 7, 2020

We Believe: 5. The Importance of Daily Personal Disciplines

Posted by Jaywalker in Insights
discipline

At Jaywalker Lodge, we believe that what we believe is exactly what sets us apart. To put that another way, our core values determine everything we do here. The core principles that motivate us personally and professionally every day inform every aspect of Jaywalker Lodge. We could tell you that we have a strong foundation rooted firmly in the 12-Step program of recovery because we do. But what’s more important to us is that you see our deep personal belief in the effectiveness and life-changing potential of the 12-Steps in every one of us, and everything we do. We could tell you that we have a strong, active community of recovering alumni around Jaywalker Lodge, and that makes us different. Because we do, and it does. But we also believe in intimate relationships and community as cornerstones of recovery and a good life, and we want you to experience for…

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November 5, 2020

Men’s Issues: Being a Wet Blanket

Posted by Jaywalker in Alumni
sober

Alcoholism and addiction can affect anyone, regardless of age, wealth, gender, race, or religion. The disease affects us all the same, though our individual symptoms may be unique. Luckily, the solution for alcoholism and addiction is the same for all of us as well —  the 12-Steps of recovery. They can help any person suffering from alcoholism and addiction if they are taken.  Our common disease and common solution unite us, for at the end of the day we are all one, and we have more similarities than we have differences. However, at Jaywalker Lodge, we treat male alcoholics and addicts. Over time, we have noticed specific issues that seem to impact men. This month, we are addressing the fear of being a wet blanket once we are sober, and how we can combat this issue in our recovery. Taking an Honest Look at Our Past A lot of us…

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November 3, 2020

I Don’t Want to Lose Control Over My Life. How Can I Work the 12 Steps?

Posted by Jaywalker in Lifestyle, Recovery
12 steps

Most alcoholics and addicts have already lost control. That’s how we found ourselves lucky enough to be willing to work the program of recovery. People don’t often ask for help when they’ve got everything under control and things are going well. Right? But we did ask for help, and thankfully the 12-Steps were there. We didn’t become alcoholics and addicts overnight, and we certainly didn’t become that way because we were in control. Think about it — none of us would have chosen to become alcoholics or addicts if it were up to us. We didn’t find ourselves desperate for recovery because everything was going our way. Don’t let this strike you as harsh. It’s true for many of us. We don’t find the rooms of recovery on a winning streak. We find the 12-Steps because we are desperate, out of control, and powerless over our fatal disease. And yet,…

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November 1, 2020

“Becoming a Part of” the Recovery Community

Posted by Jaywalker in Recovery
support

Alcoholism and addiction are a lonely disease. Almost without fail, they cause us to isolate ourselves from our loved ones and withdraw from our lives. Slowly but surely, our alcoholism and addiction become the number-one priority in our lives, forcing out everything that isn’t in direct service to our disease. This is a long, lonely process, and it leaves those of us who are fortunate enough to make a beginning in recovery with a long road of rebuilding ahead. It may seem like there is a lot of work before us, but it truly is a gift. We are the blessed ones who are given the opportunity to have our lives saved and experience recreating our lives in concert with our higher power and the 12-Step program of recovery. “Becoming a part of” is an important part of that experience. An End to Loneliness Our past spent in bondage to…

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