Reconciling the Relational Echoes of Addiction

Abstract

This article explores the negotiation of a father–son relationship in the context of addiction, as conveyed from the vantage point of the relationship the author maintains with his father. The author conveys narrative fragments to explore a range of facets of the relationship and to illustrate how relationships of this kind often resist easy answers. Indeed, they are multifaceted interactional processes confounded by the powerful grip of history and emotion. In seeking a clearer understanding of the complexities of the father–son relationship within addiction, the author aims for a fuller understanding of the difficulties that motivate and complicate his own recovery.