PAL Blog
A Parent’s Story
Articles by Parents Like You
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...
Finding Understanding Friends and Greater Peace
My wife and I wanted to have children, but we had infertility problems. We lived in Europe for over a year, and many people were praying that we might be able to have children. It was incredibly exciting when, on the very day we returned to the U.S., we discovered...
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...
The View from Recovery
Articles by People in Recovery
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...
Sobriety Wasn’t the Finish Line—It Was the Starting Point
When I got sober, I thought I had arrived. I imagined that crossing that line, finally removing the substances, meant the hard part was over. But I quickly realized that stopping wasn’t the end. It was the beginning. Sobriety wasn’t a finish line; it was the moment I...
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 Counselors
Articles by PAL and Partner Counselors
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,...
Facing Powerlessness
As the loved one of a person struggling with an addiction, it is so easy to stay focused on their recovery. Some pray to God over and over again to heal them, to make it stop, to give us wisdom on how to help them. And these are good things to do, we are looking for...
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...
