After posting our popular article PDAP: “An Instant Army, of Love and Supportâ€Â about the Palmer Drug Abuse Program we started to get questions about the illustration of a “Monkey Fist.” People wanted to know, What the heck is THAT?
This symbol actually has great meaning for both the addict and the family.
What’s the meaning behind the Monkey Fist?
Reprinted from the PDAP website (now Rise Recovery):
A symbol of success…
There are two primary symbols PDAP uses to acknowledge sobriety and family involvement. Teenagers and adults involved in the PDAP recovery groups receive a “Monkey Fist†for 30 days of continuous sobriety. Parents receive the “Parents Heart†for participation in PDAP family group for 30 days.
The “Monkey Fist†is a mariner’s knot used by ships to help them dock. A baseball sized knot with lines attached is thrown from the ship to the dock-the first contact the ship has with land. The crew on shore catches the knot, secures the line to the dock and pulls the ship to shore. At PDAP we have adopted this as a symbol representing our sobriety as we are being pulled in from the sea of drugs and alcohol. The fist symbolizes first contact to solid ground, with the group symbolizing the crew that pulls the newcomer safely to shore. Traditionally, the small leather monkey fist is suspended on a leather thong around the PDAPer’s neck. This symbol also serves as the PDAP logo.
The Johnson Institute reports that if a family is involved in a recovery program then the users have an 80% higher chance of success then those who do not have family involved. In the PDAP Family Group the symbol for program participation is the Parent’s Heart. The heart is made from carved wood, and is also suspended on a leather thong. Embossed on the heart is a Monkey Fist symbolizing the drug abuser who lives in each PDAP parent’s heart.
READ MORE ABOUT PDAP:
Powerless to Prevent:
Trish Frye, Program Director of Palmer Drug Abuse Program, spoke at the funeral of “Brittany†on February 11, 2012.
PDAP: “An Instant Army, of Love and Supportâ€
~ Written by grateful San Antonio PDAP Parents
In February 2007, we found out our youngest daughter, age 17, was a meth addict. This was of course a complete shock. We cashed in college funds and sent her to a treatment center, thinking that they would fix her.
Rise Recovery (formerly Palmer Drug Abuse Program) Home Page
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RELATED:
Recovery Resources for Friends, Families and Employers
Alcohol and Drug Addiction Self-Test:
Take this Alcohol and Drug Addiction Self-Test for yourself, or for someone you love.
All Those AA Meetings: What he’ll hear when he goes to those AA meetings
AA Facts and History
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RESOURCES:
> Phone Counseling for Family Members
> Recommended Books and DVDs for families of substance abusers and addicts
> Low cost, No cost Alcohol and Drug Treatment Directory
> Drug Addiction and Alcoholism Recovery Resources for Friends, Families and Employers
If you found this article helpful please see our “Ask Joe†posts listed at the bottom and consider reading
“Why Don’t they Just Quit? Hope for families struggling with addiction.â€
Available at:
> Our website, “Why Don’t They Just Quit?â€
> Amazon.com
> Changing Lives Amazon Storefront (buy new, from us for much less)
Recent Amazon.com reviews:
Best book ever about addiction. Written by one whose done it and is recovering. Easy to read, not preachy, just honest. I recommend this book to anyone with an addict in their life! ~Lynda A
Got an addiction problem in your family? Read this book. Joe knows his stuff. This book helps you better understand those dealing with friends and family that are addicted to drugs and alcohol. I have read several of these books but this one is the best. ~RJ
I, like many people, have some knowledge of what drugs and addiction are, but are clueless on what the process of recovery entails. This book does a great job in what it would take to help a loved one, who is an addict and is willing to get clean and stay clean. It also gives one hope that your loved one will survive the nightmare they are living through with their family. ~CG
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ASK JOE:
> Do you have to stop seeing all your old friends in order to recover?
> Is a relapse—failure?
>Should my husband “back off?”
> If someone can stop using drugs or alcohol for weeks at a time, they “aren’t an addict—correct?
>Chronic Pain Management & Pain Pill Addiction: What to do?
>How can I know if my addicted friend or loved one is telling the truth?
>How can I tell if someone is an addict/alcoholic or just a heavy user?
>What is Methadone? What is Harm Reduction?
SELF TESTS:
> Self-Tests: Codependence
> Self-Tests: Alcohol and Drug Addiction
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