Thank you Sarah for laying out the complexity of this topic and the many different ways it shows up in the world. It’s harmful to only point to alcohol (or other substances) for the stress management of parenting. I’ve seen this not just women or mothers but many types of parents. Obviously the patriarchy has a significant influence over all of this as well. As a single parent I have worked really hard against normalizing high amounts of alcohol and moving away from it as my main coping mechanism. Not moving away from it in a judgmental or shameful way but more to get curious about other forms of managing. Also I had to acknowledge that it was causing a lot of harm to my mental health. I’m grateful to have the privilege of access to therapy and have chosen to spend my money in other forms of mental healthcare instead. I appreciate this article, thank you for sharing your insights.
Thank you Sarah for laying out the complexity of this topic and the many different ways it shows up in the world. It’s harmful to only point to alcohol (or other substances) for the stress management of parenting. I’ve seen this not just women or mothers but many types of parents. Obviously the patriarchy has a significant influence over all of this as well. As a single parent I have worked really hard against normalizing high amounts of alcohol and moving away from it as my main coping mechanism. Not moving away from it in a judgmental or shameful way but more to get curious about other forms of managing. Also I had to acknowledge that it was causing a lot of harm to my mental health. I’m grateful to have the privilege of access to therapy and have chosen to spend my money in other forms of mental healthcare instead. I appreciate this article, thank you for sharing your insights.