Building Brotherhood in Recovery: Why Community Matters for Men
Recovery is a journey that can feel deeply personal, yet it’s a path that no one has to walk alone. For men, recovery often brings up unique challenges. Many guys find it tough to share their struggles openly or ask for help. At Jaywalker, we see time and again how important community is for men […]
We Can’t Go It Alone…
There’s an old proverb that says, “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” In recovery, this proverb holds true – although if you travel alone, the only place you go fast is into a relapse. In our lives prior to getting sober, we likely spent a […]
Why Drug Decriminalization Might Help With Treatment and Recovery
When it comes to substance use disorders, there tends to be a barrier of care for those sentenced for drug possession. Oregon became the first state to decriminalize all illegal drugs fully. Whether or not decriminalization can make the jobs of healthcare workers easier is hotly debated. Still, there is a chance that decriminalization might […]
Brotherly Love: The Community We Have Built
If you’ve recently been through our treatment center, you’ve met our alumni who’ve shared their stories and offered encouragement. Our alumni provide a powerful perspective when they tell our clients their unique recovery journey. Additionally, they set an example of what successful sobriety looks like. Through service, attending 12-Step meetings, providing guidance through sponsorship, and […]
Why Does Jaywalker Allow Our Clients to Interact With the Community?
One stereotype of recovery centers is that they are places where people hide to get better. People view recovery as a time where a person with addiction sequesters themself from society for treatment. The fear is that interacting with “regular people” will only tempt the person with addiction. However, the truth is that isolation from […]
Men’s Issues: I Don’t Want To Lose My Friends
It may or may not be surprising to hear that one of the most common concerns for those of us who are new to recovery is the potential loss of friends. We may fear that our friends will abandon us once we adopt the recovery lifestyle or, on the flip side, that we will have […]
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 […]
The Value of Our Communities
Almost every human alive is part of a community. We can define community in multiple ways. The most common meaning is “a group of people living in the same place or having a particular characteristic in common. Community can also mean “a feeling of fellowship with others, as a result of sharing common attitudes, interests, […]
