PAL Blog
A Parent’s Story
Articles by Parents Like You
We Thought We Were Helping—PAL Showed Us a Better Way
My husband, Mark, and I have one child, a daughter, Anna. We are both extremely close to her, as she is a mama and daddy’s girl. Throughout her 29 years of life, and even while actively using substances, she never curses, yells at us, or tells us she hates us. This...
You’re Not Alone—Find Strength and Support with PAL When Your Loved One Struggles with Addiction
My husband and I have 8 children and 5 grandchildren. Our daughter, Amy, has always been strong and independent. She protected and cared deeply for the people she loved. As a mother, she was amazing and so loving and nurturing with her children. I cherished watching...
Letting Go, Gaining Peace: How PAL Helped Me Heal as a Parent
My husband has two girls from a previous marriage, and together we have fraternal twins (boy/girl) who are currently in their late twenties. My loved one, Lindsey, was an athlete growing up and an overachiever in school, always going above and beyond what was...
The View from Recovery
Articles by People in Recovery
New Beginnings
January invites us into something quiet and sacred. A pause between what was and what could be. A fresh start. And yet, new beginnings often require us to loosen our grip on things that feel familiar, even when they are painful. Sometimes the hardest part of change...
The Gifts of Recovery
As Christmas draws near, I’m reminded that the greatest gifts can’t be wrapped or bought. They’re the quiet miracles that grow in the soil of surrender: peace, love, and a life restored through grace. December has always carried a certain kind of magic. The lights,...
When Gratitude Takes Root
As the trees grow bare and the chill of November settles in, I’m reminded that the most important growth often happens beneath the surface. The world above may look still, but the roots are alive-reaching deeper, anchoring stronger. Gratitude has become that root...
From Counselors
Articles by PAL and Partner Counselors
Take responsibility for your life
In 2025, author Melody Beattie died at the age of 76. The following is from Melody Beattie’s book More Language of Letting Go. She also has the following on her website melodybeattie.com. At PAL, we have a saying: take what you want and leave the rest. Many...
Recovery In Action: Navigating the Holidays
Just in case you missed the Recovery in Action live presentation on November 20th, here is a summary of what we talked about with our special guest Ron Paterik, a licensed substance abuse counselor and long time friend of PAL. The session entitled Navigating the...
Fall- Paraphrased Excerpt from Mike Speakmans, The Four Seasons of Recovery
Fall is that time on your journey when your adult child relapses. Yes, your son or daughter has had a period of progress, but he or she has returned to drugs or alcohol, and it feels as if the chill of winter has returned as the leaves fall from the trees again....
