PAL Blog
A Parent’s Story
Articles by Parents Like You
We Thought We Were Alone—Until We Found the PAL Family
My son Marcus was born active. It seemed like from day one he was on the go, but I didn’t realize just how much that would impact our lives. Friends would always tell me how busy he seemed to be. I never really noticed because this was ‘normal’ behavior for me. He...
Finding Strength, Boundaries, and Hope Through PAL
I am the mom of three children, one son, one daughter, and one baby in Heaven. I also have two stepsons and four grandchildren, with one in Heaven. My first child, Justin, was a bright, talented child with lots of energy! Early on in grade school, he had some...
Love Transforms Through Understanding and Faith
I am a proud father and grandfather of three grown children and four beautiful grandchildren. I was raised in a major city in the Midwest. My family was deeply affected by substance use disorder. My father battled alcohol addiction for years, but he finally stopped...
The View from Recovery
Articles by People in Recovery
Love in Action
There was a time when the idea of “boundaries” and limits felt like rejection to me. Any time someone told me no, created distance, or didn’t immediately come to my rescue, I internalized it as abandonment. I was stuck in survival mode, and I viewed love through the...
From Self-Centered to Selfless: How Giving Back Became My Lifeline
There was a time when I didn’t know where I fit in the world. I wore a thousand masks trying to become whoever I thought people needed me to be, but I never felt comfortable in my own skin. I chased external validation, escaped through substances, and spiraled deeper...
The Freedom I Found in Letting Go
When I first got sober, I thought I had crossed the finish line. I had fought the battle against substances, surrendered to the reality of the powerlessness of my disease, and made the decision to start over. What I didn’t realize at the time was that sobriety wasn’t...
From Counselors
Articles by PAL and Partner Counselors
Finding Serenity: The Empowerment Dynamic
Last month, we explored The Drama Triangle, and learned how easy it is to get stuck in the drama and chaos that our addicted loved one creates in the midst of their illness. When we take on the roles of rescuer, persecutor, or victim, our behaviors, thoughts and...
Loosening Our Grip: The Karpman Drama Triangle
“It’s like standing at the edge of a cliff, and they keep jumping off the cliff, and I keep pulling them up. No matter how many times I pull them back up or beg them not to jump, they just keep jumping. I know I need to let go of the rope,...
A Caring Approach: How Parents Can Help
Last month, we discussed the fact that parents and loved ones can unintentionally create a barrier to healing because stigma can be so prevalent in the addiction world. Stigma, according to the National Institute of Mental Health, is...
