PAL Blog
A Parent’s Story
Articles by Parents Like You
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...
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...
The View from Recovery
Articles by People in Recovery
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...
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...
From Counselors
Articles by PAL and Partner Counselors
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....
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...
