How Can I Change Everything?
When we are new in recovery, we often hear the silly slogan “The only thing you have to change is everything.” It’s said in jest, but it’s also true to a large degree. For those of us who are new to recovery, this can seem like a tall order. Never mind the fact that we’re […]
Closeness in This Time of Distance
It’s far too easy to feel totally isolated and disconnected these days. Many of us have spent a long time separated from our loved ones, families, friends, and recovery community. We’ve been apart for a long time — and whether we’re in recovery or not, human beings are not meant to live in isolation. We […]
The Society of Our Fellows
Isolation and “Lone Wolf syndrome” are extremely common modes of operation for alcoholics and addicts. The reason why going solo is so popular among people like us is complicated. It’s partly because we are defiant, independent people, and partly because we are often very emotionally sensitive people. We like to do our own thing and […]
Will I Always Inventory About the Same Things?
Hopefully, if you’ve been in recovery for even a little bit of time, you’ve gotten busy with the 12 Steps. If this is the case, you’ve likely encountered the 4th Step and the 10th Step. These are commonly referred to as the personal “inventory” steps. Even if we’re new to the 12-Step program, we’ve probably […]
Outside Issues: Diet and Nutrition
We take on a lot in early recovery. Pretty much everything about our lifestyle changes. We have new things to do like attending meetings and working the 12 Steps. We have a whole new community of friends in the recovery fellowship. We find fun new ways to spend our time sober and reinforce the joy […]
We Believe #11: A Healthy Environment Is a Healing Environment
At Jaywalker Lodge, we live by a code. Our core values are the heart of Jaywalker. We know the disease of alcoholism and addiction — and the solution found in the 12-Step recovery process — firsthand because so many of us live it in our everyday lives. This personal experience leads us to do things a […]
Men’s Issues: Healthy Sex Conduct
If we’re an adult male of any stripe, the odds are good that sex is a pretty big part of our life. Especially if we’re a man in recovery for alcoholism or addiction, there’s a whole section of inventory just for sexual conduct. It’s clearly pretty important. It’s also a minefield for a whole mess […]
The Best Ways To Deal With Being Overwhelmed
As much as we’d all like it to be, life is not always smooth sailing. Sometimes things just happen. Maybe it’s bad timing, perhaps we just got behind little by little, or it could just be too much all at once. Being overwhelmed is a normal part of life. And it happens to everyone, whether […]
What Will Life Be Like in Recovery?
This is one of the most common questions we have as newcomers: what will life be like in recovery? We all want to know what’s going to change. Everything can change in recovery, but what changes is primarily up to us. Are we willing to do things differently? It’s going to be what we make of it, […]
Beyond the Obvious Benefits of the 12-Steps
It’s no secret that the 12-Step program of recovery is by far the most effective, holistic, and successful method of treating alcoholism and addiction for both the short and long term. Simply put, it really works! For alcoholics and addicts seeking freedom and recovery from their deadly disease, there is practically nothing else that works […]
