PAL Blog
A Parent’s Story
Articles by Parents Like You
Surviving the Storm: How PAL Empowered Me to Love—and Let Go
I am the natural parent of two boys, and I have one stepson and one stepdaughter. Our journey began with my son, Ryan. He was very intelligent and caring. He enjoyed basketball, tennis, and theater. In his teens, after I remarried, he started smoking pot and...
I found the strength to hope for my son’s recovery—and for my own
I am the mother of eight children. Heartbreakingly, more than one of them has struggled with addiction. Today, I want to share a piece of our journey—specifically that of my child, Shane, who is currently in the throes of severe substance use. Shane was a bright,...
When All Seemed Lost, PAL Offered Us Hope
My wife and I have been married for 55 years and sadly, addiction has been a part of my family for much of that time. I have two sons, my youngest died in 2002 from septic poisoning from a dirty drug needle. I also have four 4 grandchildren, two of whom live with...
The View from Recovery
Articles by People in Recovery
Seasons of Change
The fall season has always spoken to my soul. The crisp air, the shifting colors, the quiet reminder that nothing stays the same. For much of my life, change was something I resisted with all my strength. I thought recovery simply meant putting down the substance; if...
Relapse is not the end of the story
When I walked through the doors of recovery 18 years ago, I carried more than just my addiction. I carried shame, fear, and the heavy question of whether change was really possible for someone like me. Over the years, I’ve learned something important: relapse does not...
A Day in the Life: From Pain to Purpose
When I woke up today, sunlight streams gently through my curtains. It’s quiet, peaceful even. There’s a cup of coffee waiting to be brewed, a gentle moment to breathe deeply and take time to be grateful, and a calendar filled with purpose. As I sit in gratitude for...
From Counselors
Articles by PAL and Partner Counselors
The Anatomy of Guilt
Guilt is a natural feeling that comes to you when you feel you have done something wrong. For instance, most people feel guilty about lying to a friend for their own convenience. If, in your model of the world, lying is against your moral code, then you will feel...
The Transtheoretical Model for Behavioral Change and Its Application for Parents of Addicted Loved Ones
The Transtheoretical Model for Behavioral Change is a framework that seeks to explain how individuals move through the process of changing unhealthy ways of coping behaviors toward more positive choices. It is used for many problem areas (i.e. smoking cessation,...
Understanding Addiction
Addiction starts with our brain, and I find it helps to imagine that our brain is like a dog driving a Tesla. One part of our brain is extremely advanced (the prefrontal cortex) – this is the part that allows us to do all sorts of complex things other animals can’t,...
