PAL Blog
A Parent’s Story
Articles by Parents Like You
PAL brought me back to life
I have two boys and two beautiful granddaughters. Chris, my oldest, has always been incredibly intelligent, even as a small baby. He did everything early: he talked in sentences before he was a year old, he crawled by the time...
PAL made all the difference
I am married to a wonderful husband of 18 years, and we have one girl, two boys, two granddaughters and one grandson. My son, Cooper, was always active as a child. There was never a dull moment. He would make you...
Not our life to control
For many years I was a single mom. From the time my son, Drew, was young, he was a handful. I kept thinking “he’ll grow out of it”. His behavior and choices as young as age 12 were atypical for someone that age…stealing,...
The View from Recovery
Articles by People in Recovery
Letters from a decade in the future
Letters from a decade in the future You’ve been making mistakes and falling flat on your face for 12 years. You make the wrong choice in almost every circumstance and situation. You’ve struggled, suffered, and virtually let everyone in your life down a...
Journey to Sobriety…and Hope for Her Future
IN HER OWN WORDS… As I sit on my bed alone, broken to the point of thinking I may not live, I still am not sure I can ever get sober, to be honest, I’m not even sure I want to. I start thinking that I have to do this, I have to do something, as I know the...
Vignettes – Part 5
December 2013. Downtown Phoenix. Lost. Broken. Emaciated. Sick. Gray December skies punctuate the morning as I climb the stairs to the emergency room doors. Banner Good Samaritan. Twenty-six years ago, I was born here. I snub my cigarette out with my shoe...
From Counselors
Articles by PAL and Partner Counselors
“Why Me?”
Dr. Don Middleton (excerpt from Chapter 2 of The Dunamis Effect: When Your Higher Power is Jesus) Whenever we are faced with difficulty, whether it is the end of an important relationship, an unexpected or...
It’s not your fault
As a therapist working with those struggling with addiction, it is hard to watch family members not knowing what to do. Always wondering, “Where did I go wrong?” Although I do not have a loved one who’s battled the beast, I have...
Hopelessness — A Common Condition for Parents
For an addicted loved one’s parents, the shock of the situation and then the often-frustrating continued drug or alcohol use (“Why won’t he or she stop using these drugs?” “How can he or she not know what the risk is?”) can...
