How does a teen cope with an alcoholic parent?
If you don’t live with them anymore, the most important thing to do is to forgive them, and not expect anything from them. I had not talked to my dad for several years when I was a younger kid, but when I was a teenager, I called him on his birthday. I occasionally talked to him after that and he actually did stop drinking (last drink was the day before his birthday). I am not saying that will always happen. He is still pretty messed up from the drinking and drugs. He lives out of his van and works sometimes doing odd jobs for people even though he is an awesome carpenter. Sometimes he will call me back if I call him, sometimes he won’t. It usually depends on if he needs something. Now as an adult, I told him he could stay in my house and fix stuff for rent but he doesn’t want to be too far from his AA meetings. I give him parent support when I can (think child support backwards). Mostly I guess you just have to accept the way things are, hope for change, encourage when they are doing
