February 11, 2011
The Palmer Drug Abuse Program (PDAP) has provided many blessings and sanity to me. When we first discovered our youngest son was a addict, I KNOW that God sent the former Executive Director of PDAP San Antonio into my life.
My husband and I had no experience with anyone who had ever used and abused drugs. We didn't know where to turn. When first introduced to PDAP, we jumped in blindly and began to understand that not only was our son very sick, but so were we. We were doing the exact opposite of what we wanted to do, which was to help him -- in turn, we were enabling him to become sicker and sicker.
We started by attending meetings -- PDAP offers meetings not only for parents or spouses, but for the siblings as well of addicts. The addicts attend meetings that are targeted to their part of the disease as well.
PDAP encourages everyone to get a sponsor. A sponsor is a person who is actively "working the program" -- a person who attends meetings and works on dealing with the disease of addiction.
PDAP also provides "fun" events and campouts for the addicts and their families in order to help them to grow closer and to better understand each others sickness.
I joined the PDAP Board of Directors and served for six years, one year as the Executive Director.
There are many help programs for addicts and their families, but in going on this journey and studying other programs, I believe that PDAP ranks heads above all the others. PDAP is not the biggest or best known, but I believe that without their help and support my family would still be drowning in the sea of addiction.
My husband and I had no experience with anyone who had ever used and abused drugs. We didn't know where to turn. When first introduced to PDAP, we jumped in blindly and began to understand that not only was our son very sick, but so were we. We were doing the exact opposite of what we wanted to do, which was to help him -- in turn, we were enabling him to become sicker and sicker.
We started by attending meetings -- PDAP offers meetings not only for parents or spouses, but for the siblings as well of addicts. The addicts attend meetings that are targeted to their part of the disease as well.
PDAP encourages everyone to get a sponsor. A sponsor is a person who is actively "working the program" -- a person who attends meetings and works on dealing with the disease of addiction.
PDAP also provides "fun" events and campouts for the addicts and their families in order to help them to grow closer and to better understand each others sickness.
I joined the PDAP Board of Directors and served for six years, one year as the Executive Director.
There are many help programs for addicts and their families, but in going on this journey and studying other programs, I believe that PDAP ranks heads above all the others. PDAP is not the biggest or best known, but I believe that without their help and support my family would still be drowning in the sea of addiction.
The Great!
I've personally experienced the results of this organization in...
PDAP enabled me to better understand the nature of the disease of addiction. I now know that I didn't cause the addition and I can't cure it. In working my program through PDAP, I better learned how to keep myself sane and how to work with my addict to help him help himself.
Ways to make it better...
If I had to make changes to this organization, I would...
I wouldn't change the organization in anyway. I would however try to get the word to more people about the power of PDAP. Addiction brings shame and those affected by addiction find it very hard to talk about it with anyone. In PDAP you know that you can share anything and know that it will remain safe with the counselors and with other family members. As a group, we are all dealing with the same disease and in sharing, are stronger.
MY ROLE:
Board Member & I served on the Board of Directors for six years -- one year as Executive Director. I have supported PDAP monetarily, in fundtaising campaigns, have attended meetings regularly for about six years. I have also received counseling from PDAP.