When drink kills: Biographical construction by those left behind

C A Valentine; L Templeton

Abstract

This paper explores the experiences and perceptions of alcohol misuse by those mourning an alcohol-related death. How might this hidden and previously unresearched group contribute to the debate around ‘drinking dilemmas’? Whilst hitherto there has been little research into how bereaved people negotiate and live with this type of loss, we do know that these deaths can be particularly difficult to grieve, due to:
1. The impact of coping with the person’s alcohol misuse while they were alive.
2. Where and how the person died
3. A culture that may stigmatise the death and pathologise such families, even if the deceased had been loved.
4. Having to make sense of a life and death defined by alcohol and that the mourner and/or others, consider unfulfilled.

The paper reports preliminary findings from an ESRC study, which has conducted 100 in-depth semi-structured interviews with families and individuals affected by a drug or alcohol related death. It analyses how these four factors influence the bereaved person’s construction of the deceased person’s memory and identity in an attempt to make sense of and live with both the life and the death.

Original language	English
Publication status	Published - 12 Dec 2013
Event	British Sociological Association Alcohol Study Group; Drinking Dilemmas Conference - Cardiff, UK United Kingdom Duration: 12 Dec 2013 → 12 Dec 2013

Conference

Conference	British Sociological Association Alcohol Study Group; Drinking Dilemmas Conference
Country/Territory	UK United Kingdom
City	Cardiff
Period	12/12/13 → 12/12/13

Keywords

Alcohol
alcohol and drug problems
bereavement

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Health Professions (miscellaneous)
Health(social science)

Access to Document

presentation

1 Finished

Understanding and Responding to Those Bereaved Through their Family Member's Drug or Alcohol Misuse
Walter, T. (PI), Templeton, L. (Researcher) & Valentine, C. (Researcher)
Economic and Social Research Council
10/09/12 → 9/09/15
Project: Research council

Cite this

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title = "When drink kills: Biographical construction by those left behind",

abstract = "This paper explores the experiences and perceptions of alcohol misuse by those mourning an alcohol-related death. How might this hidden and previously unresearched group contribute to the debate around {\textquoteleft}drinking dilemmas{\textquoteright}? Whilst hitherto there has been little research into how bereaved people negotiate and live with this type of loss, we do know that these deaths can be particularly difficult to grieve, due to: 1. The impact of coping with the person{\textquoteright}s alcohol misuse while they were alive. 2. Where and how the person died3. A culture that may stigmatise the death and pathologise such families, even if the deceased had been loved.4. Having to make sense of a life and death defined by alcohol and that the mourner and/or others, consider unfulfilled. The paper reports preliminary findings from an ESRC study, which has conducted 100 in-depth semi-structured interviews with families and individuals affected by a drug or alcohol related death. It analyses how these four factors influence the bereaved person{\textquoteright}s construction of the deceased person{\textquoteright}s memory and identity in an attempt to make sense of and live with both the life and the death.",

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AU - Templeton, L

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N2 - This paper explores the experiences and perceptions of alcohol misuse by those mourning an alcohol-related death. How might this hidden and previously unresearched group contribute to the debate around ‘drinking dilemmas’? Whilst hitherto there has been little research into how bereaved people negotiate and live with this type of loss, we do know that these deaths can be particularly difficult to grieve, due to: 1. The impact of coping with the person’s alcohol misuse while they were alive. 2. Where and how the person died3. A culture that may stigmatise the death and pathologise such families, even if the deceased had been loved.4. Having to make sense of a life and death defined by alcohol and that the mourner and/or others, consider unfulfilled. The paper reports preliminary findings from an ESRC study, which has conducted 100 in-depth semi-structured interviews with families and individuals affected by a drug or alcohol related death. It analyses how these four factors influence the bereaved person’s construction of the deceased person’s memory and identity in an attempt to make sense of and live with both the life and the death.

AB - This paper explores the experiences and perceptions of alcohol misuse by those mourning an alcohol-related death. How might this hidden and previously unresearched group contribute to the debate around ‘drinking dilemmas’? Whilst hitherto there has been little research into how bereaved people negotiate and live with this type of loss, we do know that these deaths can be particularly difficult to grieve, due to: 1. The impact of coping with the person’s alcohol misuse while they were alive. 2. Where and how the person died3. A culture that may stigmatise the death and pathologise such families, even if the deceased had been loved.4. Having to make sense of a life and death defined by alcohol and that the mourner and/or others, consider unfulfilled. The paper reports preliminary findings from an ESRC study, which has conducted 100 in-depth semi-structured interviews with families and individuals affected by a drug or alcohol related death. It analyses how these four factors influence the bereaved person’s construction of the deceased person’s memory and identity in an attempt to make sense of and live with both the life and the death.

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