“But I've been in the hole before, and I know the way out”

“The West Wing” is simultaneously some of the schmatlziest and most profound television ever made (in my not as humble as a it should be) opinion. When starting this assignment, I considered a couple of edgier ideas about how we “makeup” addiction (and no, it wasn't just an excuse to binge watch Narcos), but I settled on highlighting a really good portrayal of addiction. I am of course talking about Jon Spencer as Leo McGarry, the Irish Catholic Chief of Staff who also happens to be addicted to valium and alcohol. I want to quickly lay out why the depiction “works” but also two interesting questions it raises.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ma3d-YdLjCs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ll6GxYVJcuo

Without totally recapitulating the videos in their totality, the paint a portrait of alcoholism very much in line with the AA/disease of the will picture that we have had presented to us so eloquently by Brendan. When asked “why”, Leo says “Because I am a drug addict and an alcoholic”, nicely showing us the identity piece. He goes on to talk about the impossibility of having one drink, and saying that while he has been sober for 6.5 years, there isn't any guarantee that he will be sober tomorrow. This is the chronic disease paradigm on full display. I gotta say, they address Leo’s addiction in a real, human, and satisfying way. It is moving if you're invested in the characters at all. But there is a little more than you might first suspect at play here, if you watch the clips and/or are familiar with the series.

One, though various narrative arcs establish that while Leo never renounces his catholicism, he is certainly lapsed. He is also not a regular at AA meetings, though he goes a time or two. I think the totality of evidence in the series shows that Leo has not given himself utterly over to a higher power. He has, however, a motivating and animating force in his life much bigger than himself, being President Bartlet’s administration. I think this is instructive, if only anecdotally. It is interesting that Aaron Sorkin (the creator) implicitly substituted the State, or at least a presidential administration, for God. In our lovely, late capitalist, consumerist utopia, being a meaningful part of edifying and constructive social institutions is harder and harder. Do we really need a metaphysical tonic for our drinking problems, or would a good course of civic engagement and working towards the common good serve equally well?

Second, Leo brings up his alcoholic father, and mentions that his alcoholism killed him. To my knowledge, there isn't “an alcoholism gene” and why should there be? But it is nevertheless instructive that we speak of family history of addiction as a marker for potential addiction. So which is it? Is it a disease of the will that we need the intervention of a higher power, or could there be a pill to help balance out some brain chemistry, and reduce the craving for the fourth and fifth glass of scotch? I feel obnoxiously like one Dr. Pinker with this question, but it seems worth thinking about. Alcoholism runs in my family, and it's something I think about everytime I drink a beer.

So what does this teach us about how we “make up” addiction? I think it hints at a few important ideas. One, I think AA is right that we need higher powers in our lives. I don't think that it needs to be religion, but human connection, comradery, and mutual sacrifice are desirable no matter what, and especially in the wake of the personal trauma that alcoholism reeks. The destruction of alcoholism is, as Leo points out when he talks about getting drunk alone in the second video, is a nihilism of a highly individual sort. Grounding ourselves in persons and institutions is part of what allows us to recover from trauma. Perhaps this grounding, and not a higher power, is what makes AA work for so many.
Also, we know that biology has its way with us in one way or another. Just as everyone reacts differently to a single drink, it makes sense that prolonged heavy drinking will affect people differently. This should be widely taught, particularly in the home. We need to know about our family history with alcohol, and drink accordingly. Again, other people and institutions are the check and guide. We may make up addiction, and even get addicted (looking at you, facebook), but so too can we recover together.