There are no problems that are truly isolated. Both illness and wellness are holistic and must be treated as such to avoid needless vulnerabilities in recovery and recovery treatment. Illness and wellness are connected both in their morbidity and their solutions. Just as the cure for weight issues involves both diet and exercise, no problem exists in a vacuum, nor are there any solutions that are not also tied to other methods of health care, self-care, or professional care.
At Jaywalker Lodge, we deal exclusively with men who are suffering from the disease of alcoholism and addiction. Often, there are co-occurring issues of mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual health. This is incredibly common and not a coincidence. The disease of alcoholism and addiction lends itself to other internal issues, such as depression, anxiety, and trauma, that exacerbate or worsen the disease — and the cycle continues.
It should already be easy to see how grasping the full scope of the disease of addiction and alcoholism can quickly become a daunting task, one that is far outside the purview of any one professional. Instead, it takes a village. When therapy is needed for mental or emotional health or to cope with trauma, receiving that therapy will augment and improve the recovery work being done, just as the work in the recovery program can have positive side effects for mental and emotional health issues.
The answers must be holistic because the problem is holistic. The nature of true healing must be reached by an all-encompassing and total approach. Multiple methods must be applied simultaneously, and more than one healing activity engaged with at a time.
The Nature of the Disease
Alcoholism and addiction are a disease of a three-fold nature. This disease is comprised of the mental obsession, the physical allergy, and the spiritual malady. The mental obsession is characterized by an inability to stop obsessing about using a drug of choice and an inability to stay away from it entirely, either in thought or action. The physical allergy manifests as a total lack of control and inability to stop or regulate usage once the substance of choice has been ingested or even procured. The spiritual malady is the telltale symptom in which the sufferer lacks all necessary power or wherewithal to separate themselves from the mental obsession and physical allergy. Simply put, the third symptom means the first two cannot be overcome without serious outside help.
This serious outside help must come in the form of acknowledging some kind of higher power, for lack of power is the true dilemma of alcoholics and addicts. However, in order to discover a higher power, the sufferer must be introduced to and then sufficiently work the 12-Step program. This course of rigorous spiritual action, when undertaken with honesty, open-mindedness, and willingness, is designed to produce the necessary psychic change and vital spiritual experience that can bring about freedom and recovery from the disease of alcoholism and addiction. The 12-Step program is the solution to the disease.
The Nature of the Solution
Just as the disease manifests itself mentally, physically, and spiritually, the solution works on a mental, physical, and spiritual level simultaneously. Adopting a 12-Step recovery lifestyle along with actively working the Twelve Steps helps the sufferer across every aspect and area of their lives, both internally and externally.
Working the Steps with a sponsor, attending recovery meetings, fellowshipping with others in recovery, and being of service as often as possible is a recipe for intense internal and external transformation for those afflicted with alcoholism and addiction. The 12-Step solution can be applied to more than just alcohol and substance problems as well. Many who remain in recovery for long periods of time end up discovering that the Twelve Steps can help them with all other issues that plague them, whatever they may be. Those who remain in recovery also often find that working the Steps and living the accompanying lifestyle can help them improve their personal, professional, and family lives.
Essentially, the 12-Step program is the solution because it is even more holistic and all-encompassing than the disease itself and more effective as a solution than the disease is as a destroyer. Anyone suffering from alcoholism or addiction should find hope in this truth.
The Nature of Healing
At Jaywalker Lodge, we aim to heal the whole person. This aim goes far beyond physical sobriety — we aim for genuine, soul-deep recovery. That’s precisely why we employ individualized therapy and counseling, along with group therapy and intense amounts of 12th Step work and 12-Step education. We attend recovery meetings together, we have an active alumni community, and we don’t exclude other methods of wellness intervention like diet, nutrition, and physical activity. The true nature of healing is holistic, and we do our best to not leave anything out. We are helping real people recover from a disease with dire consequences for their real lives, and we want everyone to know what recovery is truly all about. And at Jaywalker Lodge, we know that recovery is about living a life of healing, wholeness, helpfulness, and joy.
At Jaywalker Lodge, we believe in the power of the 12-Step program of recovery. We believe the 12-Steps can heal us, transform us, and most importantly provide us freedom and recovery from alcoholism and addiction. The Twelve Steps are able to accomplish such miraculous goals by producing a necessary psychic change and vital spiritual experience within each alcoholic and addict who works the program with the help of a sponsor. We have found this process to be one of the most rewarding journeys we have ever witnessed. It’s an experience that many of us at Jaywalker Lodge know firsthand as alcoholics and addicts in long-term recovery. We believe that everyone deserves to experience healing despite their past struggles. We believe that all who suffer from alcoholism and addiction deserve to find recovery. If you’re ready and willing to find recovery for yourself, Jaywalker Lodge is here to make sure you get the best possible start. Call us now at (866) 529-9255.
