PAL Blog
A Parent’s Story
Articles by Parents Like You
This is a Marathon not a Sprint
Right now, I do not know where my daughter is and have not seen or heard from her for over 5 months. My daughter, Chelsea, by all accounts, grew up and seemed to have everything going for her. She was involved in sports, cheerleading, and did well in school...
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...
The View from Recovery
Articles by People in Recovery
The Day Love Told Me “No”
There was a time in my life when I believed love meant rescue. Love meant saying yes.Love meant coming through.Love meant giving me what I wanted, especially when I was falling apart. And I can admit it now… I had a very specific definition of “unconditional love,”...
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,...
From Counselors
Articles by PAL and Partner Counselors
How to show love without spending a dime
“If you won’t help me, you don’t love me!” How many exhausted parents have heard these familiar words? The last thing any parent wants is for their child to feel unloved or uncared for. When it comes to dealing with your child in the upside-down world of...
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...
