Dealing With Adversity in Recovery

Life is not all rainbows and butterflies, even when we are in the rooms of recovery. Adverse conditions arise in the lives of every human being on earth, no matter what. We all must occasionally leave the sunshine to deal with adversity. Tough times and struggles are not indictments on our strength, intelligence, or choices […]

I Have Trauma Issues. Can Recovery Help Me?

Trauma and substance abuse have a surprisingly large amount of overlap, from experiencing distressing thoughts and feelings to similar treatment programs for healing. We all experience trauma and cope with it differently, yet many substance use issues develop as a response to trauma. Processing traumatic experiences can be very time-consuming as well as mentally draining. […]

Suit Up and Show Up: Fighting Isolation in Recovery

Addiction and social isolation are closely related, often becoming a vicious cycle. According to the Cigna U.S. Loneliness Index, younger generations in America are experiencing higher levels of loneliness, which leads to many mental health and behavioral problems, including addiction. In recovery, isolation can become a temptation. This is particularly true now during the pandemic, […]

Working the 12-Steps No Matter What

The 12-Step program is a set of time-tested guidelines to help us overcome addiction. When you first start the program, many concepts of it can be quite inspiring. But as time goes by, you may find that the appeal of the 12-Step approach is waning. Sometimes you feel like you are just going through the […]

Can Nature Be My Higher Power?

Many recovery programs are designed to foster faith in an individual. Faith is having confidence in the things we hope for and being reassured that everything truly happens for a reason. Overcoming an addiction can be a very challenging process, although having faith increases your chance of recovery and your chance of finding peace. Having […]

What Is a Sponsor and Why Do I Need One?

Participating in a 12-Step recovery program for addiction involves more than just attending meetings. A successful program recommends that every person has a sponsor who will serve as an essential part of their recovery journey. It may be difficult to share experiences or tell your story in a group setting. You may feel more comfortable […]

Building a Strong Foundation to Avoid Relapse

You’ve committed to a life of sobriety. Perhaps you experienced a challenging beginning to your recovery journey, but you acknowledge how far you’ve already come. Jaywalker Lodge is encouraged and motivated by strong men like yourself. The hardest part in your journey may have already happened, or perhaps it is yet to come. Either way, […]

Adventure as a Form of Therapy

Therapy is traditionally associated with sitting across from a therapist and talking through your thoughts and emotions. Although this form of therapy is awesome and works for many, there are numerous therapy options available to help with your mental health and/or substance use issues. One of these options is called adventure therapy. Adventure is not […]

Getting Back Into the Swing of Things

Whether or not we are suffering from alcoholism or addiction, we all lose our rhythm from time to time. It happens to everybody. Things are going smoothly, and then we hit a bump in the road. Sometimes it’s nothing, just a hiccup, but sometimes the bump is big enough to knock us off the proverbial […]

How Can I Cope With Temptation in Recovery?

For those of us new to the rooms of recovery, the temptation can be a part of everyday life early on. The good news is, many of us find what the book Alcoholics Anonymous says to be true; “We are not fighting it, neither are we avoiding temptation. We feel as though we had been […]