Wanting new coping strategies in relation to the co-parent
Although the SOs were aware of all the things they were putting up with, most of them had decided to stay in the relationship with their co-parent, for various reasons. They expressed how their partner, when sober, was a fantastic parent and spouse, but that his alcohol consumption made him unreliable, dull, absent, selfish, and, in some cases, mean. They all had experiences of arguing and fighting with the co-parent, which in some instances could make things better for a while—but the co-parent always returned to his previous behaviors over time. Hence, many SOs were looking for new strategies to deal with the co-parent’s alcohol consumption because all their previous attempts had failed.