For most diseases that exist, there are multiple treatment options. There are very few monopolies on methodology when it comes to getting well, no matter what ails you. This holds true for alcoholism and addiction as well. There is no “one right way” to cure them, just as there is no one best antibiotic for an infection. But there are certain things that work better than others. Jaywalker Lodge believes wholeheartedly in the 12-Step program of recovery from alcoholism and addiction. Why? Because it has worked to change the lives of most of us who work here. The 12-Step program and its spiritual approach practically built Jaywalker Lodge.
Doing What Worked for Us
Anybody would be happy with the method that made them well, but that wouldn’t be enough reason to recommend it to everyone. Well, it’s not our only reason. Alcoholism and addiction are a complex disease, and in our experience both personal and professional, they are not addressed and treated anywhere more thoroughly than the 12-Step process. There are, of course, other choices. More straightforward facilities that focus on healthy coping mechanisms. More religious methods. The list goes on. These may work for some people, but they did not work for us. At Jaywalker Lodge, we can only in good conscience back and employ the process which we know to be successful.
Most other treatment methods for alcoholism and addiction do not sufficiently address the three-fold nature of our deadly disease. There is a physical allergy, a mental obsession, and a spiritual malady that all must be addressed for successful, long-term recovery. No methodology that we are aware of addresses and relieves all three areas at once like the 12-Step program. In fact, this method is so effective that it has been adapted to provide recovery from a large number of other diseases and ailments.
A Spiritual Experience
This is why we at Jaywalker Lodge prefer the spiritual approach of the 12-Step program as outlined in the book Alcoholics Anonymous. As best as we can tell, this method is crucial to helping alcoholics and addicts recover. Alcoholism and addiction is a disease, but not a typical one. There is no magic pill or surgery to fix it. The physical allergy, mental obsession, and spiritual malady will be with the sufferer all their life. In most cases we have seen, it is only the psychic change and spiritual experience that are sufficient to keep the sufferer in recovery, working the program, and staying recovered. The 12-Step program is not a temporary fix or a short-term solution. It is the solution, but it only works as long as the individual is willing to engage in it.
Other methods may work for certain people, and they have every right to explore the help available to them. We tried many other methods, and we still found ourselves in desperate need of real help. We tried a lot, and we failed a lot. The 12-Steps is what finally worked for us, though we had to be willing to follow the program as it is outlined. Initially we “tried” the 12-Steps and did not find success. Once we finally took the 12-Steps with earnest willingness, honesty, and humility, we found ourselves, and our lives soon transformed. This is why Jaywalker Lodge is firmly rooted in the 12-Steps of recovery and the principles behind them. Yet, that is not all we do at Jaywalker Lodge.
Embracing the 12-Step Lifestyle
It is not just the 12-Steps that we work diligently and deeply. We also engage daily with the 12-Step lifestyle — unity, service, and recovery. We practice unity in meetings, in our 12-Step work, and with our vibrant recovery community. This blends perfectly with service, where we strive to help each other and come together as a community of recovered men to help the larger Colorado community. Recovery is more than the 12-Steps, too. Yes, we work the 12-Steps, but we also engage in group and individual therapy, physical activity, and other healthy practices. Recovery is found by working the 12-Steps, but it’s about recovering, healing, and getting well in every aspect of our life. These are the lifelong habits that are started and taught at Jaywalker Lodge as a comprehensive initiation into a life of recovery.
These are a lot of technical and practical aspects of the spiritual approach. The real heart of it comes from the most perplexing aspect of alcoholism and addiction — those who have this disease lack the power to overcome it. A lack of power is our dilemma. The 12-Steps are the most direct way that we know of to discover a power greater than ourselves. What’s more is the recovery lifestyle teaches us how to stay in constant contact with our higher power, thereby granting us access to the power we lack, but desperately need, in order to get and stay recovered.
This subject is covered in much greater and more personal detail in the book Alcoholics Anonymous. At Jaywalker Lodge, we can help you navigate and understand this valuable book and find the higher power that will be key to your recovery.
Alcoholism and addiction is a disease of a three-fold nature, comprised of the physical allergy, mental obsession, and spiritual malady. All three of these unique symptoms make the sufferer powerless. The physical allergy requires total abstinence to abate. The mental obsession means that without experiencing some profound psychic change, the sufferer remains vulnerable to relapse. The spiritual malady requires a connection with a higher power of some type. Yet those who suffer from alcoholism and addiction are not doomed. There is a solution, and it works on all three fronts at once. The 12-Steps provide a daily reprieve that is contingent upon spiritual maintenance but ultimately brings freedom and recovery from the disease. There is hope. If you are willing to work the program of recovery, Jaywalker Lodge is ready to help. We have been there ourselves, and now we are recovered. Let us show you how different your life can be. Call us today at (866) 529-9255.
As Chief Executive Officer Bill provides leadership and manage all day-to-day operations of Jaywalker Lodge, an extended care residential addiction treatment program for adult men.
