I didn't have children, but that would have gotten me out very quickly because most alcoholics come from alcoholic homes. For me it was when he drifted towards another woman, which is something I simply can't tolerate. It jolted me into reality by realizing there was something wrong with me for choosing a very destructive relationship. I saw that what I called love was really need, that I didn't trust or respect him. What has followed is a great deal of hard work on myself that will only end when I take my last breath. Alanon has saved my sanity by teaching me I'm responsible for the choices I make in life, the people I share my life with.