PAL Blog
A Parent’s Story
Articles by Parents Like You
It’s in God’s hands
I have two children, one with my first husband and one with my current husband. My son from my first marriage has never recovered from his father leaving us. He has always been exceptionally bright, and he was a joy growing up. When he was 11 years-old, issues with...
I can’t change my daughter
Our family would be considered a typical family. My husband and I have been married for 31 years, we have a 29-year-old son who’s married with children and a 23-year-old daughter. Our daughter was always the social butterfly. She included the kids who were not...
There is always hope!
After my son graduated from college, he lived on his own and picked up a few jobs before he started working for a bank - he was in his mid-20’s. He was doing very well at the bank and was working in the mortgage department. He advanced up through the department and...
The View from Recovery
Articles by People in Recovery
Beauty is always there…if we take time to notice
The other day while reading Station 11, a fictional apocalyptic story, I was struck by the prose and narrative in a way that granted me a moment of perspective. Despite society and civilization literally falling apart in this story, the human spirit persisted (we...
The life preserver was gone
To this day, I vividly remember the calamity that was my life on a daily basis for so many years. The endless attempts to stay intoxicated – regardless of personal cost or consequence. Oblivious to the fact that the choices I made in these narcotic periods of haze...
Get comfortable with being uncomfortable
“I shall be telling this with a sigh. Somewhere ages and ages hence: Two roads diverged in a wood, and I – I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.” - Robert Frost I recently left a job I had held for seven years of my adult life....
From Counselors
Articles by PAL and Partner Counselors
Finding Joy While Waiting
In PAL meetings we often talk about delayed emotional growth as well as delayed gratification. Our loved ones who are battling substance use disorder have tremendous difficulty with both of these behaviors. In the case of many of them, they began using substances...
Don’t quit before the miracle happens
Don’t quit five minutes before the miracle. When parents attend their first meeting at PAL or any other support group, they often come in with a range of feelings and mindsets (denial, guilt, anger, etc.), but what all parents have in common when they reach out for...
The Squeaky Wheel Gets the Grease
It is natural for parents to respond when their children struggle. When parents become aware that their child is experiencing discomfort, they instinctively take steps to try and help. Whether the issue is with illness, emotional distress, financial problems,...
