Written by Austin Shook, Director of Men’s Programs
When I got sober on May 11, 2017, I didn’t know that would be my sobriety date and could have never imagined I would be writing this blog with over 6 years of sobriety under my belt. The recovery program that helped me, located way out in the middle of nowhere near Waco, TX, was an all-men’s facility and they had one curriculum: the 12-steps. I didn’t know at the time there was such a thing as co-ed programs, but boy am I glad I ended up at this all men’s place!
I didn’t know at the time there was such a thing as co-ed programs, but boy am I glad I ended up at this all men’s place!
The first weeks of recovery are a time of deep reflection, hard work, and utter concentration. I can’t imagine how distracted I would have been had there been other newly sober women running around. To be honest, I may not even be alive today had that been the case. The message that I could too have a spiritual awakening as the result of taking the 12-steps, and that connection to a Higher Power would keep me sober, was carried to me by a recovered man. I have since devoted my life to carrying that message to other newly sober men.
The first weeks of recovery are a time of deep reflection, hard work, and utter concentration. I can’t imagine how distracted I would have been had there been other newly sober women running around. To be honest, I may not even be alive today had that been the case.
The truth is men and women can be very different. We all know this, and it’s not some hidden fact! Despite this fact, the disease of alcoholism disease does not discriminate. There is so much that could differentiate a group of alcoholics, recovered or not, such as gender, race, religion, which side of the tracks they’re from, but this group has one thing in common, the disease of alcoholism.
Despite this fact, the disease of alcoholism disease does not discriminate. There is so much that could differentiate a group of alcoholics, recovered or not, such as gender, race, religion, which side of the tracks they’re from, but this group has one thing in common, the disease of alcoholism.
One feature of alcoholism is that it is a disease which centers in the mind. When the alcoholic is trying to stop drinking, our brain tells us that we can drink again, and it will be different this time. Another feature of alcoholism is the “allergy” to alcohol. Once someone with the disease of alcoholism ingests alcohol, the phenomenon of craving or “allergy” is set off and we cannot control the amount we drink.
The solution to this deadly cycle that The Magdalen House uses, with the help of our dedicated volunteers who are recovered members in the recovery community, is the 12-steps of recovery originally printed in the book, Alcoholics Anonymous, in 1939. These 12-steps, if taken precisely as they are laid out in the book, and with the help of a sponsor, can work for ANYONE, male or female, rich or poor, no matter what religion or race they are. It works, it really does, if the man OR woman doing them is completely honest and puts in daily spiritual action!
These 12-steps, if taken precisely as they are laid out in the book, and with the help of a sponsor, can work for ANYONE, male or female, rich or poor, no matter what religion or race they are.
Gratefully my mother, at the time I got sober, was in the position to pay for me to go treatment. Had I not taken this opportunity seriously, as is the case for some men and women I’ve met after their first go-round, I highly doubt my mom would have forked over another small fortune for me to try treatment again. I would have had very few gender-specific places to turn. I already shared earlier in this blog about how monumental attending an all men’s 12-step based program was for me!
A tried-and-true program like us here at The Magdalen House, which has been serving alcoholic women and their families for 37 years at no-cost using 12-step principles, realized it does what it does best, and it continues to do so. The need to help men in the same way has arisen, and now we have put what has been an idea for years into action! The Magdalen House will be serving alcoholic men and their families in an entirely separate facility, using the IDENTICAL 12-step principles!
The Magdalen House will be serving alcoholic men and their families in an entirely separate facility, using the IDENTICAL 12-step principles!
The Magdalen House has had a motto, one of many, that goes “Gender specific: Women helping Women” and now “Men helping Men.”
