Falling, slipping, and stumbling backwards

Abstract

This paper identifies how experiences of alcohol use disorder (AUD) are metaphorically framed in online alcohol support materials, using a dataset curated to isolate the language individuals seeking support may encounter. Individuals affected by AUD face barriers including self-stigma, shame, and a perceived lack of agency, which have been shown to inhibit help-seeking behaviours. Framings of alcohol use may challenge or reinforce stigmatising perceptions, in ways which may empower or disempower those affected. There has been little research examining how metaphor is used to communicate perceptions surrounding AUD, particularly at crucial access points such as the language of support materials. This paper applies the Metaphor Identification Procedure (Pragglejaz Group, 2007) to identify how metaphor use frames four key aspects of AUD: lived experience; coping strategies; the disorder; treatment options. The findings show that Journey framings dominate in this context, highlighting both the long-term nature and potential impermanence of recovery. Individuals are represented with varying degrees of agency at different stages of dependence, and framings acknowledging mitigated agency tend to anthropomorphise AUD itself in violent and highly agentive terms. The discussion examines the implications of the identified framings for support-seeking individuals, highlighting the need for further research exploring how those individuals may respond to and evaluate these framings.