PAL Blog
A Parent’s Story
Articles by Parents Like You
PAL provided a way to cope with the hurt
I’ve had the privilege of participating in my local PAL meeting and can say the weekly materials that are shared, as well as the amazing support from other participants, have helped me get through some pretty dark days. My child began self-medicating at around...
Hope is possible even after relapse
A little more than four and a half years have passed since I wrote my first testimonial in late November 2019. My only child was released in April 2019 after spending five months in jail. He had been arrested for a missed court date related to drug paraphernalia...
Finding support, answers in our darkest hour
My wife and I committed our lives, our marriage, and our family to the Lord early in life. We were blessed with two sons and daughters-in-law and four grandchildren. Brian, our second born, challenged with alcoholism, was always the sensitive, caring, loving...
The View from Recovery
Articles by People in Recovery
Be thankful for how you learned life’s lessons
I've made a lot of mistakes in my life. I've consistently been stubborn and obstinate when it comes to learning lessons and taking advice; there is something innate in my personality that tends to balk at suggestion, a burning desire to experience things firsthand...
I deserve what’s best for me
“We only want what’s best for you.” I remember hearing this phrase from my parents at 19 years old. It was the beginning of my battle with substance use disorder and mental health issues. Sitting in a hospital room after my first overdose on heroin, I truly...
Embracing the here and now
I’m writing this from the backseat of a Toyota Camry heading west on the I-10. Swaths of open desert painted green with brush, wildflowers dotting the freeway margins, with random bursts of brilliant yellow and purple, create a picturesque landscape. My...
From Counselors
Articles by PAL and Partner Counselors
The Unknown
What do we do when we feel powerless towards other people, places, and things? What do we do when the unknown takes over our thoughts? Let’s first talk about what powerlessness is. It is a feeling or idea that we lack control of what is happening in our life. When...
Are you loving someone to death?
As a professional who has been working in the field of addiction and mental illness for many years, I have seen the worst. I have stood in front of high-risk relapse populations working tirelessly to end this horrific epidemic that still remains largely hidden. I...
Is my life out of balance? Part 2
Last month we started a two-part series on the importance of a balanced life. I am hoping that after an assessment of those first six areas, you were able to start getting some of those needed areas back into balance. In part 1, we covered feelings, relationships,...
