Tag: Addiction

March 16, 2022

Is Medication Safe if I Have an Addiction?

Posted by Jaywalker Lodge Staff in Mental Health
Is Medication Safe If I Have An Addiction?

Having a history of addiction can make taking medication a frightening experience. While the U.S. battles a major opioid addiction crisis, taking medication for pain or mental illness might be concerning, especially if that substance has the potential to be addictive. This article discusses how to use medicine safely and when and why taking controlled substances might not be safe. Using Medication When You’re Addicted If you have an addiction, being prescribed medication can be troubling. There are plenty of common medicines that are easy to become dependent on, yet doctors and psychiatrists prescribe them for various health conditions. These medications have been clinically tested and found to alleviate symptoms in people with a particular illness or disease.  Unfortunately, many misuse prescription drugs and develop an addiction. Suppose you have an addiction to illicit drugs or pharmaceutical medication. In that case, it makes sense to be wary about receiving a…

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February 14, 2022

What Is Relationship Addiction?

Posted by Jaywalker Lodge Staff in Mental Health
A couple in recovery from addiction struggle to connect.

If you have a history of addiction, you might want to look at how you relate to others. Relationship addiction is common in many interpersonal relationships with those who aren’t great at setting boundaries or respecting their personal needs over others. Codependent relationships can lead to dangerous behaviors like enabling and taking on more than you can handle. Let’s take a look at relationship addiction and how it can harm someone’s recovery. The Many Forms of Addiction Substance use addiction tends to be the type many know the most about, but addiction can take many forms. It is possible to form a psychological dependence on something, especially if it contributes to a need for a specific positive feeling. Addiction can come in many forms, from sex addiction to gambling addiction. These are different than physiological dependencies that your body might form from using an illicit substance like heroin, cocaine, or…

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February 8, 2022

Waiting a Year to Date

Posted by Jaywalker Lodge Staff in Recovery
A man in recovery brings his girlfriend to an open AA meeting.

Early recovery leads to many feeling fantastic as if they can take on the whole world. This newfound passion for life can lead to many looking for new experiences and fulfillment but can cause them to forget they are still in a fragile state. Many professionals recommend waiting at least a year before entering into a romantic relationship. The Importance of Year One Your client’s first year after treatment is the most critical part of their recovery journey. During their first year, they are focused on rebuilding their life. They take all of the tools and lessons gathered from treatment and apply them to everyday life. They are still raw. They are still finding themselves. They are still rebuilding broken connections and establishing their new identity as a sober individual. In the first year of sobriety, people are still susceptible to relapse, primarily due to Post Acute Withdrawal Syndrome, or…

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January 15, 2022

How to Help a Child With Addiction

Posted by Jaywalker Lodge Staff in Alumni

Many people associate addictions with adults, but children can become addicted too. Addiction tends to run in the family, and while you may have tried to keep your child safe, it isn’t always possible. Teen addiction is still a prevalent issue caused by many factors, from environmental to hereditary. Here’s how to help your child get the treatment they need. Why Is My Teen Addicted? There are many factors that play into teen and child addiction. Whether it be peer pressure, curiosity, rebellion, a way to cope with stress/anxiety, or expectations, there are many reasons why teens and children choose to take substances that develop into addiction. It isn’t necessarily because they are “bad” or “acting out.” In fact, many teens don’t try substances to anger parents, but rather because their brains aren’t as developed as adult brains. This doesn’t say anything about their intelligence, but rather their brain development…

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December 22, 2021

Avoiding Winter Isolation

Posted by Administrator in Mental Health
lonely man using mobile device during winter

It might be easy to hide in your winter cabin when your door is blocked by a foot of snow. However, isolation can become dangerous for people in recovery.  Even in the winter, we still need to reach out to members of our community. Although it might feel like a challenge to make an effort to socialize, there are plenty of options to beat the urge to hide away. Here are some tips to stay connected, even when you might not feel like it. Contact Your Friends Virtually Last year, we learned a lot about socializing safely. The use of video chat increased during the pandemic, and many now use it to talk to those far away. You might not feel like driving over to your friend’s house when it’s below freezing, but seeing your friend on your screen might inspire something in you to help fight off isolation. Try…

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October 18, 2021

Don’t Fight It, Face It!

Posted by Administrator in Mental Health

We often find people trying hard to end the bad habits of addiction with great frustration, anger, and a sense of hopelessness. This is especially true after many years of habitual substance use and the negative mental health effects that come with it. A person can easily find themselves trapped in a mentally traumatic situation if they continuously try to fight their addiction with frustration, anger, and other harmful emotions. If you continue to fight your addiction daily like you’re in a war, chances are that you will lose. But if you start admitting your mistakes and face your addiction head-on, you’re much more likely to be victorious. Being strong-willed and determined to face your addiction by engaging in the right kind of recovery processes can lead to lasting recovery. Wondering how you can effectively face your addiction like a pro and beat it? Although there is no one-size-fits-all procedure…

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October 10, 2021

Help Your Spouse and Family Recover From Your Addiction, Too

Posted by Jaywalker Lodge Staff in Recovery

Your addiction history is likely a long, sad, complicated story. Surely it is comprised of nerve-wracking episodes of behavioral and mental trauma as well as physical nightmares. However, this is the time to let bygones be bygones and start fresh. It’s time to leave your history behind and look forward to an addiction-free and happy life ahead. As you take this journey, it’s important to remember that your spouse, family, friends, and other loved ones have probably suffered a lot along with you. If your physical and mental health has deteriorated, so has theirs. People living in the same house with you have spent their days and nights worrying about you. They’ve seen you struggle, and they have struggled, too. The Toll That Addiction Takes on Spouses and Families Spouses, siblings, parents, children, and other family members all suffer in different ways. For instance, some go into a depressive mental…

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September 25, 2021

What We Believe About the Power of Recovery

Posted by Jaywalker Lodge Staff in Recovery

Alcohol and addiction recovery has never been thought of as an easy journey. In fact, recovery is a lifelong journey for those who chose it, as everyone in recovery will experience challenging temptations and triggers throughout their life. Jaywalker Lodge is fueled by self-discovery and healing. It’s a place where we motivate men to find the power within themselves to commit to long-lasting recovery. While helping others achieve sobriety remains a priority in our mission, we believe that the power of recovery extends beyond eliminating substance use. We believe that the power of recovery helps build authentic and genuine character, creating a life full of excitement and purpose.  Above all, we know that there is a solution to the all-consuming disease of addiction. Addiction is treatable, and we believe that treatment works. Finding an effective treatment may take time and vary from person to person. At Jaywalker Lodge, we are…

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July 28, 2021

Being of Service

Posted by Jaywalker Lodge Staff in Alumni
emotions

What does “being of service” actually mean? Why do we talk about it so much in recovery? Is it really as important as it sounds? Being of service is more than being helpful on occasion — it’s a lifestyle that is vital to successful recovery. We talk about service so often because it’s one of the major keystones of a life in recovery.There is a lot that we can learn about being of service, and there is a lot that can be said about it, too. Simply put, service is one of the single most important ingredients to a healthy, happy, and successful recovery lifestyle. Let’s take some time to explore this incredible element of recovery.What Is Service?Service is more than just lending a hand whenever we can. Service is a way of life. Some people say that it’s only considered being of service if it’s inconvenient, but that’s untrue…

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July 19, 2021

When It’s Time to Sponsor

Posted by Jaywalker Lodge Staff in Alumni
honesty and trust in recovery

When we are new to recovery, some of the first advice we’re ever given is to get a sponsor. It may seem like a strange concept at first. I mean, what’s a sponsor? Well, we find out what a sponsor is pretty quickly. A sponsor is an alcoholic or addict in recovery who has worked all Twelve Steps and is willing to help others do the same. What do we need a sponsor for? Spoiler alert: we need a sponsor to help us work the Steps ourselves. Literally, we need someone who has worked all Twelve Steps to show us how to do it. More than that, much of the Twelve Steps require us to speak with another person about certain things. Our sponsor is usually the person we talk to whenever the Steps require it.Our sponsor gets to know about us and our life. We get to know and trust…

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