Need advice on writing an alcoholic character

[CatrionaGrace]

An AA friend said that Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville was the truest statement ever made about what it was like to be an alcoholic.

 

[Homer Potvin]

An AA friend said that Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville was the truest statement ever made about what it was like to be an alcoholic.

I would happily quit drinking if it meant I never had to hear another Jiffy Bummet (sic) song again.

 

[CatrionaGrace]

I would happily quit drinking if it meant I never had to hear another Jiffy Bummet (sic) song again.

He does (or did, rest his soul) seem to polarize people. My husband waxes profane at the drop of a JB note. An Okalahoma friend who converted to Texan forty years ago thought JB was da bomb. Me, I don't care one way or the other.

 

[TrevorD]

is it possible to be a coffeaholic? Cuz fr i drink about 8 cups a friggen day.

 

[jazzabel]

(This might belong in research instead, whoops)

So in my current project the MC's dad is not dealing well at all with the death of his wife, so now he's an alcoholic. You know, the classic setup. My problem is that I have somehow dodged ever knowing an alcoholic individual personally, so I have no idea how to write this.

I want to make sure I do my due diligence and write this sensitively as I know it's a heavy topic, but aside from reading general overviews of what alcoholism is on like drugabuse.com I really don't have any idea how to research the nitty gritty details, like the specifics of how it affects the parent/child family dynamic, or the person's behaviour around their substance of choice. I know that this character is an alcoholic, because that's what makes the most sense for him as a character and what I want to do with him, but I have no idea what that looks like or how that affects the daily lives of him and MC.

If y'all have any advice or resources or recommended reading you can point me towards I'd owe you my life.

To my mind, the most prominent feature of alcoholism, or any addiction really, is denial, and it takes many forms. Decide on how denial will be affecting their character development and goals, and it will illustrate the nature of struggle with addiction.

 

[Selluwud]

To my mind, the most prominent feature of alcoholism, or any addiction really, is denial, and it takes many forms. Decide on how denial will be affecting their character development and goals, and it will illustrate the nature of struggle with addiction.

Not only denial, but deceit, lying, and recklessness are part of an alcoholics tool bag. Someone very close to me (the closest) put me through (hell) the experience of having to solve their problem which I did not achieve. Only by a near death experience (automobile accident) and the realization that they may never see their loved ones again put this person on a healthier path. Alcoholism is a deceptive and evil disease that the victim doesn't perceive or recognize the self control needed to overcome it.

 

[mesa.lofi]

There are plenty of books on the topic, and the theories of alcoholism range from biological to habitual to spiritual and beyond. There are also biographical and fictional accounts of alcoholism that you can pull from. One book that may be of interest is Adult Children of Alcoholics.

I would also suggest attending some AA or Al-Anon sessions as a guest. Most people are open to discussing their journey at these meetings. Depending on how far you want to go with this, recovery programs often need volunteers and/or are open to discussing these subjects. There will most likely be several organizations you can talk to locally, as addiction is a huge business nowadays.

I have worked in substance abuse and alcoholism for years, so feel free to message me if needed.

 

[mesa.lofi]

To my mind, the most prominent feature of alcoholism, or any addiction really, is denial, and it takes many forms. Decide on how denial will be affecting their character development and goals, and it will illustrate the nature of struggle with addiction.

This, of course, depends on where each user is in their recovery and their readiness to change. Denial is often associated with early recovery efforts or avoidance. I think a more proper way to say it is that a prominent feature of untreated or unrecognized alcoholism/addiction is denial. However, denial is not always present.

 

[EuchreJack]

is it possible to be a coffeaholic? Cuz fr i drink about 8 cups a friggen day.

Absolutely. I'm currently dealing with an Coffee/Caffeine addiction. I get headaches when I don't consume caffeine, so I have to consume something with caffeine every day, whether I want to or not. Fortunately, I mostly enjoy caffeinated drinks, but the point is that I have no choice in the matter. It would take about 1-2 weeks to break this addiction. However, there are days when I need the stimulating substance to survive, so I am unlikely to break the habit in the foreseeable future.