Going from drinking the problems away, to taking responsibility...

[Ray McCarthy]

Yes, the drinking can become a separate problem in itself. Giving up any form of addictive behaviour.

Possibly too Alcoholism, regular drunkenness or Binges are not always the same thing either. Alcoholism is probably harder to "cure" and not related to taking responsibility for a past misdeed. Would some Alcoholics be dependent no matter if they had never done something "bad"/"ashamed of"/"suffered*". Would they find something else if alcohol was unavailable?


(*Shell shock / PTSD etc)

 

[paranoid marvin]

Well, the actual drinking part is minor. It's possible he never stops drinking throughout.

What i do need to have happen though, is for him to overcome the fear of being found out about what he's done and to take responsibility for it. That is the real important part, i just thought the drinking could work as a representation of that and help highlight the actual process of him facing his fears. But it is complicating things... So i'm going to change the question:

What would help a drunk overcome his fear, and take responsibility?

Ah, now this is a different scenario. If he is that scared of people finding out what he did, it is not likely that he would team up with others that he meets. If you're on your own then there's less chance of being discovered.

Say he's drunk, thinks he's on his own, and starts to castigate himself out loud about what he did . Then another person overhears him, approaches and consoles him; he suddenly realises that other people don't see him for the devil that he thinks he is.

 

[lonewolfwanderer]

you have a point there @paranoid marvin... if he was that afraid/guilty, he'd isolate himself from others. However, he does need to become part of the team at some point because it's the bond that is built among them, methinks, that will get him over the fears and whatever happens after.

Friend of mine suggested i go with something like this: The 3 events Wesley witnesses (The twins' encounter with their mom; Gabriel's encounter with his wife; and Mira's story) send him deeper into his depression and alcoholism, until he can't take it anymore. He then decides he's had enough of life or whatever, and wanders out to kill himself, one way or another.
One of the other characters then sees or senses that there is something bothering Wesley (by this point the other characters have grown to like him and follows him. After realizing what he is planning to do, they stop him and convince him that the best way to find atonement would be to face your mistakes or problems, not run from them.

Of course, i'm not yet sure about their reaction when Wesley decides to tell them what he did, and whether or not he tells the rest of the team, or they over hear. At the very least, Gabriel needs to find about it.

 

[psychotick]

Hi,

Overcoming fear and manning up? Why do I have the Kenny Rogers song Coward of the County running through my head right now?

Well the simplest one is that his secret is exposed. Think politicians and sex scandals. When have you ever seen one stand up out of the blue and confess? Never. It's always after exposure that they admit their crimes and go for the mea culpa. At the point of exposure your MC's fear shifts from being exposed to being blamed in a violent way. And that may be in part why he goes on to try and fix things. To allay a little of the righteous anger of others.

Cheers, Greg.

 

[Rafellin]

Okay, from my viewpoint - so excuse not knowing the refinements - this is how I'd play it.

Wes is running from himself down to the bottom of each bottle. It's cowardice, disguised by cynicism and defensive aggression when challenged, no doubt.

But Gabriel is something new. Their 'adventures' have changed Wes' outlook. He's beginning to 'man up' to what he's done. Beginning to catch himself - during non-blotto moments - wondering if he can do more than just exist in an alcohol-induced blank that never seems to really work.

Picking up the group has started the growing up process. Encountering Gabriel's wife is a tipping point, but his cowardice drags him back down the bottle again. Seriously drunk and pitifully guilt-ridden, he confesses to Gabriel, who has wondered over the cause of his companion's drinking problem (casual drunks, addict drunks and hiding-from-something drunks have subtly different tells).
Gabriel is momentarily livid, but he is the bigger man. He sees how the guilt has crushed Wes, and knows there is genuine contrition. But the loss of his wife makes him tear seven bells out of Wes (some shoving, a lot of shouting, some harsh truths - possibly a chance to sort several group dynamics).

Wes scarpers. Cue moment of truth, soul-searching, decision to kick the habit (possibly complete with cinematic hurling of bottle from rooftop to smash amidst ruins below) as sun rises, then shame-faced return to group, reconciliation, and awaaaaaay they go. Echoes may crop up, temptation to have a swig when things get bad - offset by deciding to use alcohol as molotov, I'd suggest.

Hope this waffle helps. I'm backing him. Got 32 years sober this August.