PAL Blog
A Parent’s Story
Articles by Parents Like You
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...
I found the strength to hope for my son’s recovery—and for my own
I am the mother of eight children. Heartbreakingly, more than one of them has struggled with addiction. Today, I want to share a piece of our journey—specifically that of my child, Shane, who is currently in the throes of severe substance use. Shane was a bright,...
The View from Recovery
Articles by People in Recovery
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...
Relapse is not the end of the story
When I walked through the doors of recovery 18 years ago, I carried more than just my addiction. I carried shame, fear, and the heavy question of whether change was really possible for someone like me. Over the years, I’ve learned something important: relapse does not...
From Counselors
Articles by PAL and Partner Counselors
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...
The Transtheoretical Model for Behavioral Change and Its Application for Parents of Addicted Loved Ones
The Transtheoretical Model for Behavioral Change is a framework that seeks to explain how individuals move through the process of changing unhealthy ways of coping behaviors toward more positive choices. It is used for many problem areas (i.e. smoking cessation,...
