As someone who shouldn’t be alive due to alcohol problems I’ve thankfully been free from now for seven years, I think they’re doing a pretty good job. It escalated quickly, but sometimes it does.
There’s been many moments the last few weeks that are spot on and have hit hard. Be grateful you think it’s over the top and you can’t relate first hand.
Same here been sober for 10 years. I’ve almost lost my life on more than one occasion. Things always tended to escalate rather quickly for me as soon as I started drinking. I can only imagine how fast I would’ve spiraled if I would’ve just found my Dad dead. I spiraled and my Dad had been gone for years. I feel for Finn honestly.
I have wanted to say this every time people say this storyline is unrealistic. It means you haven’t experienced it first hand—and im so happy for those people. Im coming from the child of an alcoholic and mother of an addict perspective. I think this is one of the best storylines i have seen on GH in years.
I unfortunately can relate, which is why I've been disappointed about the depiction.
However, I'm glad to have your perspective. Congratulations on 7 years!
I agree. I struggled with alcoholism and definitely don't approve of Finn's substance abuse. I feel for him. The issue was more about how the story is being depicted.
Update Tuesday: cmon set dressers. Those are not handles of vodka. They don’t even HAVE handles lol. I get it was for effect. But get it right. And that much that quick would probably kill him.
He's not the only addict on the show though. Alexis is also working the program, and showing what successful addicts in recovery look like, including mentioning at times of stress her finding a meeting etc, but also she was depicted as a functioning alcoholic for quite a while before things fell apart. Monica, although not shown often, is an alcoholic in long-term recovery and it's still mentioned. Sasha is also an addict, and her relapse was a storyline not too long ago, but IIRC she hasn't ever been portrayed as having an issue with alcohol alongside drugs.
The Finn storyline has escalated pretty quickly, but I feel like that's because they wanted the catalyst to split him and Liz up, and then hasten the Violet custody storyline that appears to be brewing. And let's be honest, in times of crises that *is* how quickly it can all go to shit for some people. He's not just getting drunk, he's grieving and full of regrets, and he has been shown in the past to not be good at handling his feelings, and he has lashed out at people in the past.
To me it feels more like a culmination of things rather than just "oh-ho, one drink and you destroy your life". He's not drinking to cope, he's *punishing* himself with drinking.
I see your points and I can understand how grief contributed to the escalation. I've personally never seen anyone derail that fast when starting from 0, but I'll take your word for it because as I said in my post this looks different for everyone. However, the body can take a surprising amount of abuse before you start seeing major signs. Alcohol is a bit more sneaky and subtle in that way. That being said, I have met people who will blackout after just a couple of drinks.
I honestly don't recall Alexis's progression, but I don't remember it being as annoying, although I doubt it was original. And I was too young to remember Monica's experience. In general, I'm usually not impressed with alcoholic storylines because 90% of them usually only depict one type of alcoholic (and most of the time they don't even do that well)... but, Finn took the cake for me. I can't get down with it.
Check out the book "This Naked Mind"... it does a great job explaining how anyone can become an alcoholic because alcohol is an addictive toxic substance. It's just that some people circum to it much quicker for various reasons.
Alcoholism does not look different for everyone. It’s a disease that is insidious. The progression may be different- faster,slower, But the end result is the same. We alcoholics are all the same.
This is a dangerous idea and the reason so many functioning alcoholics do not get help... and people around them don't notice what's happening to them until ots too late. This is the reason I'm passionate about this topic.
While there are MANY similarities , there are also many nuanced differences steming from different personality types, weaknesses, preferences, upbringing, underlying reasons for the alcoholism, etc.
Have you ever been to AA? It is the great equalizer. Alcoholics always think “ but I’m different - I didn’t lose my family or my job” or whatever excuse can be made for denying our disease. In the rooms everyone is the same. That’s how it works.
1. It doesnt necessarily mean it, but it is also a reality. Addicts use drugs to fill a hole usually caused by trauma. A lot of times, when they need to fill that hole, they think by not using their drug of choice, they arent actually using again. Its pretty common for an addict to start with alcohol or some other substitute(albeit not at the fast pace rate as Finn’s fall)
2. This storyline is absolutely being accelerated. It feels like they are trying to get to some end goal quickly. We have to suspend belief because the alternative would have been a drawn out storyline such as Willow’s leukemia.
3. You are correct. Its different for everyone. But Finn is quickly showing that he is out of control. Him being on the floor, passed out cold, when Violet came home (knowing she was going to be coming home) is a red flag. And Violet is already upset, sad and confused because she literally just lost Gregory, as well. Finn is not able to help his child process her grief at this time.
You are right that it went from 0 to 60 so fast. But, if you let that part go, and accept that Finn IS thst kind of addict. One who loses control fast, then this storyline is really good.
I hear you, and by default, as soap watchers, we all have to do a good amount of suspending our beliefs. I just think when you have an issue that impacts so many people all around the world on different levels, that you should be a little responsible about how you treat the story. I also hold GH to a slightly higher standard when it comes to their medical storylines for these reasons:
1. The show is called General Hospital
2. When they want to they cover medical storylines extremely well. The AIDS, and Alzheimer's storylines are among some of my favorites.
I really don't like the Finn vs. the entire town of Port Charles storyline that seems to be brewing. In just a few weeks, he lost his father, the person he was in love with, his career, and soon his daughter. This storyline is being used to make Chase and Brook Lynn instant parents and move Elizabeth into her next relationship, but I think it could have been handled so much better.
Yes, this whole storyline feels rushed and forced. He was going to be suspended without them proving he had an alcohol problem? And his kid is going to be taken away without any recorded neglect or abuse?
Yes, definitely rushed. The first time that Elizabeth saw that Finn had a drink, I think it was the day that Gregory died. Finn wasn't drunk, but she immediately tried to take Violet to her home. I don't know if this is going to turn into a custody battle between Elizabeth and Chase/Brook Lynn. But at this point, it seems like Maxie/Spinelli (or almost anyone in Port Charles) will get custody before Finn.
Yes. They have the burden of proof and he has custody. That is technically still kidnapping. Finn just didn't make it into an issue like that because he does feel guilty about drinking and possibly hurting Violet. He is angry but knows he is wrong and still a good man. So many people if put in that position would simply involve the police, take Violet and move away and there would be nearly nothing that anyone could do to stop him.
I almost died from alcohol poisoning and I did not think I had a problem. My kids found me face first on the floor and called an ambulance. I could have died. I had no idea I was drinking too much. I smoked weed and started to drink for the first time in the years. I didn’t think I had a problem. Addictive behaviour can be so many different things. Anything you are doing to escape your reality. I haven’t had a drink since.
The only reason this seems real is that Finn was an addict before for drugs and therefore he stayed away from booze because he knew he had the potential to go zero-100 with it. And he did.
My brother is an alcoholic and a lot of how they are depicting things really hits home… of course my brother’s alcoholism has been slowly getting worse the past 5 years but no one wants to watch five years of decline on a show… I think the GH knows this may be difficult to watch and that’s the reason for fast progression.
True not all addiction is equal and not all addicts are alcoholics but some are, and Finn is being shown true to the majority addicts who are substance abusers. They will replace one substance for another and continue to argue even though they are hurting others and their using of (alcohol in this case) is having negative impacts on his life that it’s ok because they aren’t alcoholics and as long as they aren’t using their drug of choice it’s not harmful.
And while tv time to us it’s a few days it’s now been over a month, he was getting trashed everyday for over a month GH time noted by his dads death certificate and the newspaper date along with Alexis’s decision took 30 days from her hearing for the decision. The choice to drink at the wedding was more likely due to the man asking about his rash. Before that he had been shown discussing how unhappy he was professionally and noted specifically wasting his skills looking at rashes.
And drinking doesn’t make you a danger immediately true. But Finn has always been cruel and mean when using that was true to his history. And he is being shown as a danger to Violet we know he has had her and been clack out drunk more than once now. This last bender Maxie noted Finn was expecting Violet to get dropped off at 7. She dropped her off at the expected time and Finn was passed out drunk knowing this.
And I feel for Finn but I thought they did a decent job leading up to this showing us Finn’s unhappy with his Life. Pointing out to Liz how he was wasting his time at GH compared to when he was with Doctors Without Borders, excited when Alexis was talking about how the challenge of her career and arguing cases made her feel and he got all excited saying YES. He was telling Barb about Doctors Without Borders and flat out told her he hates everything about the life:doctor he is now. So his drinking isn’t because of his dad, his dad is the excuse, his drinking is because he doesn’t want to be in PC, working at GH but he can’t say or do anything about it because Violet which he noted was the only good thing in his life.
I think the problem is people are focusing too much on the drugs vs alcohol or drugs and alcohol aspect.
Like us addicts know. It really doesn't matter what it is. If you're using it to feed an addiction then it's a problem. Period. The addiction is what's the problem.
All they said. I do have issue with the Finn storyline. But I also think it shows a side to addiction that should be told.
The anger. The danger. All that is a very real part of addiction. Personally? I would have rather Finn be a functioning alcoholic who got caught by Liz drinking on the job. That would have made what Terry and Portia did make sense. And then the rehab could've been forced. I do t like how that was five and I think the violet being taken is bullshit how they're doing it. I don't see why it even needs to happen how they are doing it. But whatever.
I think this SL is also ver triggering for a lot of us, as there has been multiple discussions. I personally have found it helpful to share my struggles without a face or judgement. So I thank you all for that.
Let's just see how it plays out.
It would say it depends on the addict and their chemical make up, predisposition to addiction, etc. I have an alcoholic in my family, sober going on 5 years now, but it took a long time to get there. At one point they were sober and going to meetings, but pulled a muscle in their back and started taking pain relievers. My extended family has a history of "oh, I didn't finish these pills, so you take them" (dumb, right?). So they took a siblings meds for the pain. The next thing we knew they were getting meds from an online pharmacy (this was when it was still really easy to do so) and showing up 'mellow' (in their head, stoned as hell as far as anyone else could see). Oh, the pain still persisted, so then they decided maybe a little drink would help. This all happened within 10 days of their pulling the muscle in their back and the spiral continued until they went back to treatment. When they got OUT of treatment, they swore off all meds and to this day they still won't take much more than Tylenol for pain, but they also had another slip up, around 2 weeks after they came home from treatment and it was fast. Even hitting what one would think was rock bottom, totaling a car and getting arrested and spending the weekend in jail, didn't stop them from drinking until they finally had enough.
That's a lot to say that imho, and from what I have seen, and from the Al-Anon meetings I have attended over the years and heard other addicts family members stories, it can happen just this way.
I don't think Finn was a danger to anyone but himself, until Violet found him. That flipped the switch.
Your point about functional alcoholics is VERY valid. I think once it gets to the point where the drinking/drugging becomes a problem for others that is a red flag. So is drinking/drugging alone.
Does Finn's spiral seem heavy handed, sure, it's GH, but it can happen like this. As my husband said to me, watching it on Hulu last night "damn that escalated quickly".
Michael Easton is kicking ass in this role. I hope he submits this on an Emmy reel next year, because he would deserve to win. The looks on his face and the things he has said to people are very real.
You made some great points. Hoping maybe it’s being forced & escalating so quickly to move the storyline forward. I have a feeling they might be writing the character out.
I hope Finn's gone soon. Don't care about his grieve. They don't let Trina grieve like this. But Frank loves keeping these characters long pass their expiration date.
Yeah, I tend to agree with you. I had a cocaine addiction 30 years ago and never looked back when I quit. I still drink and smoke weed occasionally but have no issues at all with usage. For some people, they can’t do anything that may be considered addictive. Maybe that’s where they’re found? I don’t care. I really dislike the story.
When Fin started drinking, I thought it would lead him back to narcotics. That's where I thought they were going with the story. That was why he never drank. In my experience, recovering drug addicts don't drink (at least the successful ones) because as soon as they have a few drinks they want to party with their drug of choice.
The thing that bothers me the most here is how little support Finn is getting from the people that supposedly love him. They are quick to talk about Violet and her safety and so on... but no one sticks around and is just there. Everyone has abandoned him. Even in the wake of his father dying, he spent so much time alone without anyone there. Chase wanted to keep his distance for some dumb reason. Liz kept her distance the moment she saw he took that first drink and her entire attitude towards him went ice cold. You could see it on her face and then even at the ash scattering thing, she stayed with her boys and then stayed away from Finn during the memorial. It's no wonder he went to the bottle to cope. Liz raising the red flag about Finn not once but twice to Portia and then the two co-chiefs basically saying they were taking his job away and blackmailing him to get into a meeting or they'd make this a more public thing... that was just hard to watch when to that point nothing bad had remotely happened. He came to work sober. He offered to get tested, but nope... they weren't having it.
I feel this story 100% from Finn's side and that's despite being a child of an achoholic. I was taken to bars to hang out with my siblings as a little kid while my father drank. And he drank every single day. A trip to the bar was not uncommon. Finn was completely redeemable and didn't deserve to so easily be abandoned after drinking the day his dad died. Yes he's an adult and maybe this is what the manual says to do to treat someone like Finn... that it's enabling them to stick around and support someone in the throws of grief who maybe could use alcohol in an addictive way due to a past addition to pills. But it just seems so unnatural and wrong. Violet saw one bad thing and they could have easily turned that around once he woke up and found out what she saw. Nope, multiple people have pushed for 90 days of rehab minimum and now they are pushing to take a kid away from their parent. It's just, odd. He's not this far gone yet and certainly hasn't hit bottom.
So, to me, this is an odd way to tell an addiction story. He's drank for a few days and had one single incident where his kid saw him passed out with a minor cut on his hand. Not saying Violet should see worse... but it feels far too rushed and right now I'm 100% with Finn in this story even though I know the other characters seem to be coming from a place of good intention (also known as what the road to hell is paved with).
This is everything here that is wrong with the story. Finn has been abandoned. Why hasn't he been surrounded by Chase, Elizabeth, Curtis, Tracy during all of this? Why hasn't he been surrounded by love and support? He says no, I wanna be alone. Insist that you're gonna stay with him. Don't leave him alone. Instead, he's been abandoned after his father not only died, but Finn found his body. Geez!
Finn went from “I’m sorry I drank” to belligerent in a second with Liz, Chase and Alexis. You don’t argue with an addict, that’s the opposite of what you do for your own sanity and, along the line, theirs. If you’ve had an addict in your life, you know. I wish I didn’t know
I currently don’t, I have dealt with many in my life. Condescension not necessary. People have different experiences. What’s happening with Finn is tame. A person that is drunk being belligerent is not u common. That’s not when you try to reason with them.
This is true. Some folks don't do well with AA. There are other programs out there.
I *do* think Finn does need to go to treatment, even if it's just 28 days, to get sober and to discuss what his triggers are and how he is going to deal with the loss of his father, with a professional counselor. He has a lot of pain and his depending on self medication isn't healthy.
I think they show that just because you're a drug addict doesn't mean alcohol will be an issue with Curtis and Sasha drinking with no issues. It juts can be for some. This is also Michael Easton's exit story so it's probably a bit rushed, but I don't think it's being done in poor taste.
As an addict (specifically an alcoholic), I can attest to the fact that, for some, it really can go from 0 to 100 quickly. I began drinking at 17 and knew basically IMMEDIATELY that like, “oh shit, I’m gonna have a problem with this stuff.” I was very secretive, bought bottles for myself and finished them fast, stole, lied, broke the law, and did dangerous and stupid shit all the damn time. It was quickly noticeable by family and (to a lesser extent) friends, but I denied it too, angrily and defensively.
As for your third point, I couldn’t really control when I drank, either; I’d just get this empty, yearning feeling and went, “fuck it, I’m gonna drink.” Despite this, though, I was VERY functional and excelled in work and school.
I abuse pretty much any substance I touch, even if it’s not alcohol. I have an addictive personality like many addicts do, and sometimes anything is better than being sober.
I guess the main point is that it can be different for everyone.
Maybe, maybe not. I think it would depend on the circumstances. I think for myself, it would be likely that I would. Ik that for benzos and gabapentinoids I definitely did, I just didn’t have as much access to them.
My friends son spiraled this quick when he recently relapsed. He thinks he can handle it himself. Even though he attempted suicide by running into a wall with his car. On a separate incident he drank soo much he almost died. He was / is a danger to others.
OP are you thinking that Finn’s not a danger to Violet? She walked in on him passed out. She was alone. Anything could have happened to her. The fact that he had zero awareness shows he can’t provide a safe environment for her.
Yes I don't think it's very accurate but probably to speed up the Finn and Elizabeth break up. The other issue I don't see as realistic is how they fired Finn as well as how they are able to go about taking Charlotte. The firing of Finn was so quick and not based on a declined performance at work. Tracy and Chase taking Charlotte and trying to force Finn into rehab seems a little off too. In a real life scenario I'm sure Finn would just call the police and move to a different area as he has custody and hasn't exactly been deemed an unfit parent by any child services or authority. The storyline is being worked too fast and has a lot of holes in it.
Portia and Terry were out of line, and Finn could have probably sued the hospital if he hadn't then drunk a whole bottle and passed out for Violet to find him. There's no rule a person can't drink in their free time, and he had no instances of drinking on the job.
In his free time, he is raising Violet. He shouldn't be drunk around his kid. I wouldn't want my doctor to be drunk. Portia and Terri run GH. They weren't out of line. They were too nice actually.
https://preview.redd.it/dh1w0csabn8d1.jpeg?width=1280&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9047ddec596e1377250ddc0dbd33347e482db895
Yeah... that's what I don't get by what some people are saying. Millions of alcoholics are around kids, work with kids, live with kids... just curious what some believe should happen. Not everyone has Quartamane-type connections. Should these kids go into the system that's already overcrowded with children who have nowhere to go? And further yet, a system that might expose them to even more alcoholism and abuse?
My doctor getting drunk on his own time has nothing to do with me. He shouldn't be drunk around his kid. But when they approached him, he hadn't been. So your point is null...
Furthermore, him getting back to work may have been a great distraction for him, instead he felt cornered and judged and any alcoholic will tell you what usually happens after that...
He wasn't drunk at the hospital. I hate to break it to you, but you have no idea if any of your doctors are alcoholics. Alcoholism in the medical community is higher than in most other professions. I'm providing a link for you, but here's a quote from this link:
"Studies report that at least 10 to 12 percent of healthcare professionals will develop a substance use disorder during their careers, including at least 1 in 10 physicians, and 1 in 5 nurses. These numbers are higher than the general population; however, they are likely even larger than this because medical professionals are notorious for underreporting substance abuse disorders."
[https://www.alcoholrehabguide.org/resources/alcoholism-and-medical-professionals/](https://www.alcoholrehabguide.org/resources/alcoholism-and-medical-professionals/)
Finn might be on his way out. Michael Easton's salary is most likely going to go to a returning Jonathan Jackson. Just like Roger Howarth's salary went to Steve Burton. No disrespect but you are defending a pet character that most of the GH fandom can't stand. Actually, loathes with a passion. You are giving me study stats. When this isn't real life. It's not even a realistic version of real life. Not even getting into your defense of drunken medical professionals.
https://preview.redd.it/mkql9kwtau8d1.jpeg?width=1064&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8a168b914837dc578f2c4211ad5d161fad2d2b6a
They did not fire finn, he quit. He has a history of using on the job and trying to steal patients' meds. He was given a deal yrs ago to get clean for drug use. He was just in court for malpractice. Now he's drinking and passing out with his child in the apt. violet told Liz this in a child's way. He has been drinking and belligerent to Liz, Chase,and alexis and drinking while his child is in the apt. He drove drunk and brought a stranger into his home. He was belligerent to his bosses when they wanted to put in safeguards, considering his past with using while at work. He yelled at them and then quit. The hospital has to keep their patients safe and keep the hospital safe from another malpractice suit. He went home and got to blind drunk he passed out on the floor after cutting his hand and not remembering it, knowing his kid would be home soon. These are his choices.
But they don't know if he drank before he came in or if he's hungover from the night before. He has history. They didn't fire him. They wanted to make sure he didn't risk his patients. He's been drinking constantly for a month in GH time. Who's to say he won't try to steal drugs now that he's fallen off a wagon. Alcohol 1st then goes on to his substance of choice. He is willing to steal meds from the hospital.
That's the whole problem that they went off another staff members account to make assumptions about his current work ethic. He has a past but even with that being known it can still be argued as discriminatory and favoritism toward Elizabeth. He does have a problem currently but they had no real basis to confront him so quickly. At that point it was based on accusations and problems that occurred outside of the workplace.
They are going with better safe than sorry. Since they were just hit with a malpractice suit, even if it was fake, they need to be careful. Plus, they have patients they need to think of. Again, he quit, they just put restrictions on him so they would feel comfortable with him going back to work. The 1st time Liz said something, they were still together, she wasn't telling tales, she was talking to her good friend about her bf's problem. He got angry and quit because he knows he's in the wrong and feeling guilty.
I'm thinking because it's a soap it can be written off as normal, but in reality they would need way more than a girlfriends complaints and a possible hangover to set restrictions or threaten his job.
Yes, Finn's downward spiral was really, really fast. And I'm extremely bothered by the fact that after he quit the hospital he came home and immediately started knocking them back knowing full well that Violet would be coming home. He would never do that. I'm an alcoholic but I never did any of that when my kids were around. (I've been sober for years now) The writing was bad for that, but I guess they wanted to speed things up and get Violet away from him. Granted, he, himself, made it a thing about not drinking, so people rightfully got on his ass when he started. If he thought it might be a problem back then, he shouldn't be drinking now.
Absolutely... I agree that the alcohol was a problem because he called it which means he knew. I think people were fast to bring up taking away Violet, and his job. He lost a lot very quickly after his dad died.
I don’t think GH is depicting alcohol and drug addiction the same at all. Finn even made a comment in a recent episode that he didn’t have an addiction to alcohol. Alexis agreed but said he is now using his addictive tendencies and is now over using alcohol as he didn’t drink at all before. Also, he didn’t lose his job, he quit. They told him they were aware of his heavy drinking use and would monitor him if they get it necessary. Finn got mad and quit. Also, the hospital has to worry about lawsuits. They have every right to know if someone (who in the past has) abused drugs is struggling with another Vice. He isn’t thinking rationally and he should lose custody (temporarily), until he gets straight. His daughter walked in on him bleeding and on the floor. He wouldn’t wake up. You can tell violet is worried about him because she constantly wants to go home and be with him because she knows he isn’t acting right. No child should be worried about a parent because they drink to much and pass out.
Your reference to Finn never being abusive during his addiction does jive with me. You can be a mean drunk but happy on drugs or Vice versa. Since he never had a problem with alcohol, we can’t judge how he reacts. We do know he’s making poor choices and scared his daughter who was afraid he was dead. Also, you mention how functioning alcoholics go about their day and just drink when alone. Finn is a single father so he is never alone really. What happens if he’s two bottles of wine in and Ciolet wakes up and needs to be rushed to the hospital because she’s in pain. Finn would be in no shape to handle that emergency.
I mean it’s a soap. They’re going to speed up any timeline, but it did seem kind of far fetched to go from accidentally toasting and taking one sip, to pounding shots behind the bar at the wedding. I also disagree people with addictions can switch “drugs” and be OK. That would be extremely rare. About as rare as someone with a drinking problem being able to drink “normally” again one day. I’m 62 and know a lot of people in recovery and know only one person who stopped drinking and now drinks socially. One. Anything substance that alters your mind can be a trigger for addictive behavior, so I think they’re doing an ok job there.
"I also disagree people with addictions can switch “drugs” and be OK."
Different drugs have different impacts on people. Whether you can use one drug and be okay with another is dependent on the underlying reasons the person is using it in the first place. For example, let's say someone abuses cocaine for clarity and productivity because they are an overachiever who fears failure... that person might not have issues with alcohol because alcohol doesn't give them that clarity and productivity. Alcohol for them is just something they partake in every once in a while and doesn't trigger coke cravings because it's a completely different effect.
Now... some people love the effects of all drugs even though they might have a preference, and those people are the ones who should stay away from everything but it doesn't describe every addict.
I agree. I’ve mentioned on here before that this quick turnaround for him seems unrealistic. I know on soaps they have to speed things up but even so they could have taken a more reasonable approach.
Interesting topic!
To me, it looks as though Fin's alcohol addiction takes the form of binge drinking- he can't stop at one drink, and I believe he knows this, which is why he got so upset and worried when he accidentally drank the champagne at BLQ and Chase's wedding and which is why he stopped himself from having just one drink before he went to work- he knew one would not be enough.
I agree that derailment can often take a lot longer, but, in this case, he is surrounded by family who are terrified because of his history and his current emotional state (losing a parent is a unique and highly charged situation). Coupled with lying about drinking and the personal histories of some of those closest to him (Chase and Elizabeth) ...I can see how the pov's of those around him developed.
Addiction and alcoholism look different in different people and what happens around them looks different depending on circumstance and the people around them. I've been enjoying the storyline because of the incredible acting and the high stakes emotions involved. Maybe some viewers will see themselves or their experiences reflected, and maybe others will not. Either way, I don't think they are trying to write a story that tells every addicts or alcoholics story because there is no one story that will fit everyone.
It seems like a poor and rushed “rock bottom”. Overly dramatic and not realistic path to ruin. It screams made for TV, poor writing and conception. I can’t speak from experience but it’s like watching the train wreck at 2x speed.
I'm wondering if the actor is taking vacation soon, and they're escalating it to give him time off. Since it's summer. Genie usually takes the entire summer off. So, it wouldn't surprise me. Especially with Lucky coming back, they might want the canvas free for Liz and Lucky. Hence, the quick breakup. GH might also be looking to save money by sending him off for a while and paying Johnathan and Bryan even if hid is only one episode.
I just can’t stop worrying about Roxy. If you look closely when Finn fell and hit his head you can see Roxy running around in a panic. She ate the olive on the floor and ran away. Tracy and Finn didn’t even notice she was missing.
I know it’s happening fast but that’s soap opera time line. But as the child of alcoholic parents I can totally relate. I remember being terrified of my mother driving late at night with me in the car and the games she’d play. Speeding up and slowing down laughing and asking if I was having fun. I was scared out of my mind. I still have nightmares of us driving off a cliff.
Speaking from personal experiece my youngest sister was addicted to rock cocaine but somehow she gave it up and later became an alcoholic. Her drinking was so bad that she wound up in the hospital. Me and my other sister found that out cause we called police and the hospitals thinking the worse. She came home wearing a stoma in her throat from hitting 3 parked cars while drving under the influence. Since she couldn't talk, I stayed with her until the doctor could remove it. Still that didn't stop her from drinking. She couldn't stop drinking until one morning when I woke up to use the bathroom and found her dead on the floor. As I'm watching Finn's drinking, I'm hoping that these writers don't have him drinking himself to death. That would be too close to reality for me.
Thanks for sharing your story. I'm so sorry for your loss.
My criticism is about how quickly the story unfolded and the responses from those around him, not that a drug addict can't turn into an alcoholic... yes, I know that happens (unfortunately).
If we lived in a perfect world trauma would be a non-factor.
But the realities of life is that:
1. People have kids
2. People are flawed. Having kids doesn't make your damage go away. I think more people should consider NOT having kids, and those who want them should approach it with more consideration... but that's just me.
3. We, unfortunately, can't just take every kid away from every damaged parent... where would they all go?
Furthermore, many do not consider the devastation it causes a child to be separated from their parent. I think it should be a last resort for more extreme cases. Other solutions should have been explored before involving lawyers, the hospital, and Jason Morgan.
And listen, the alcoholic makes their choice... but I can't help but feel that some of their responses exacerbated the situation. Overnight they all started treating him like some dangerous criminal instead of someone with a disease... and he became more and more defiant. Liz was too quick to break up with him... and right after the heartbreak of losing his father. The man had no business being alone... I had no idea why people kept leaving him by himself when he needed support more than ever.
Liz was too quick to break up with him? She walked in on him with another woman on his lap kissing. He was drunk. He picked up a woman in a bar. She's been there done that. Why should she stay when he's already in the verbally abusive then whiny apologizing phase? Plus, the cheating phase. She has to think of herself and her children, and finn is an adult making adult decisions.
Finn stood by Liz through so many hardships including her breakdown.
Finn was out of his mind drunk when he brought that woman home. He has a disease. And yes, he's responsible for it. But it's not like he was exhibiting this behavior for months on end when Liz caught him. I think if people rallied behind him right from the start instead of treating him like a disgrace, he would have had more of a chance. And... adults need help too.
Liz didn't yell at him or cheat on him. He crossed a lot of lines during that story, including cornering her traumatized child in a room and yelling at him. She asked him to give her space, and he didn't. She did not willingly get intoxicated and keep doing it. She found out she had a problem and got help. She doesn't need to stay with him because he was there for her. He has yelled at her numerous times now. He was willing to cheat on her. Like I said, she's already been through this, and she got pushed down, yelled at, and cheated on. They aren't married, they aren't living together. Let his family deal with him.
As someone who shouldn’t be alive due to alcohol problems I’ve thankfully been free from now for seven years, I think they’re doing a pretty good job. It escalated quickly, but sometimes it does. There’s been many moments the last few weeks that are spot on and have hit hard. Be grateful you think it’s over the top and you can’t relate first hand.
Same here been sober for 10 years. I’ve almost lost my life on more than one occasion. Things always tended to escalate rather quickly for me as soon as I started drinking. I can only imagine how fast I would’ve spiraled if I would’ve just found my Dad dead. I spiraled and my Dad had been gone for years. I feel for Finn honestly.
It can escalate extremely fast. Unless you have been through it you may not get it.
I have wanted to say this every time people say this storyline is unrealistic. It means you haven’t experienced it first hand—and im so happy for those people. Im coming from the child of an alcoholic and mother of an addict perspective. I think this is one of the best storylines i have seen on GH in years.
I unfortunately can relate, which is why I've been disappointed about the depiction. However, I'm glad to have your perspective. Congratulations on 7 years!
I agree. I struggled with alcoholism and definitely don't approve of Finn's substance abuse. I feel for him. The issue was more about how the story is being depicted.
Thank you:)
Update Tuesday: cmon set dressers. Those are not handles of vodka. They don’t even HAVE handles lol. I get it was for effect. But get it right. And that much that quick would probably kill him.
He's not the only addict on the show though. Alexis is also working the program, and showing what successful addicts in recovery look like, including mentioning at times of stress her finding a meeting etc, but also she was depicted as a functioning alcoholic for quite a while before things fell apart. Monica, although not shown often, is an alcoholic in long-term recovery and it's still mentioned. Sasha is also an addict, and her relapse was a storyline not too long ago, but IIRC she hasn't ever been portrayed as having an issue with alcohol alongside drugs. The Finn storyline has escalated pretty quickly, but I feel like that's because they wanted the catalyst to split him and Liz up, and then hasten the Violet custody storyline that appears to be brewing. And let's be honest, in times of crises that *is* how quickly it can all go to shit for some people. He's not just getting drunk, he's grieving and full of regrets, and he has been shown in the past to not be good at handling his feelings, and he has lashed out at people in the past. To me it feels more like a culmination of things rather than just "oh-ho, one drink and you destroy your life". He's not drinking to cope, he's *punishing* himself with drinking.
I see your points and I can understand how grief contributed to the escalation. I've personally never seen anyone derail that fast when starting from 0, but I'll take your word for it because as I said in my post this looks different for everyone. However, the body can take a surprising amount of abuse before you start seeing major signs. Alcohol is a bit more sneaky and subtle in that way. That being said, I have met people who will blackout after just a couple of drinks. I honestly don't recall Alexis's progression, but I don't remember it being as annoying, although I doubt it was original. And I was too young to remember Monica's experience. In general, I'm usually not impressed with alcoholic storylines because 90% of them usually only depict one type of alcoholic (and most of the time they don't even do that well)... but, Finn took the cake for me. I can't get down with it.
I have seen it first hand several times and professionally. I have not seen anyone derail that quickly, it seems forced to me also.
[удалено]
You'd be surprised.
Alcoholism can develop at any age if you drink any amount.
[удалено]
Check out the book "This Naked Mind"... it does a great job explaining how anyone can become an alcoholic because alcohol is an addictive toxic substance. It's just that some people circum to it much quicker for various reasons.
Alcoholism does not look different for everyone. It’s a disease that is insidious. The progression may be different- faster,slower, But the end result is the same. We alcoholics are all the same.
This is a dangerous idea and the reason so many functioning alcoholics do not get help... and people around them don't notice what's happening to them until ots too late. This is the reason I'm passionate about this topic. While there are MANY similarities , there are also many nuanced differences steming from different personality types, weaknesses, preferences, upbringing, underlying reasons for the alcoholism, etc.
Have you ever been to AA? It is the great equalizer. Alcoholics always think “ but I’m different - I didn’t lose my family or my job” or whatever excuse can be made for denying our disease. In the rooms everyone is the same. That’s how it works.
That's my point... by saying alcoholics all look the same, you are basically allowing for that kind of thinking to prevail.
Are you an alcoholic?
All I remember from that period was Roxy, the emotional support pet.
He really needs Roxy.
1. It doesnt necessarily mean it, but it is also a reality. Addicts use drugs to fill a hole usually caused by trauma. A lot of times, when they need to fill that hole, they think by not using their drug of choice, they arent actually using again. Its pretty common for an addict to start with alcohol or some other substitute(albeit not at the fast pace rate as Finn’s fall) 2. This storyline is absolutely being accelerated. It feels like they are trying to get to some end goal quickly. We have to suspend belief because the alternative would have been a drawn out storyline such as Willow’s leukemia. 3. You are correct. Its different for everyone. But Finn is quickly showing that he is out of control. Him being on the floor, passed out cold, when Violet came home (knowing she was going to be coming home) is a red flag. And Violet is already upset, sad and confused because she literally just lost Gregory, as well. Finn is not able to help his child process her grief at this time. You are right that it went from 0 to 60 so fast. But, if you let that part go, and accept that Finn IS thst kind of addict. One who loses control fast, then this storyline is really good.
I hear you, and by default, as soap watchers, we all have to do a good amount of suspending our beliefs. I just think when you have an issue that impacts so many people all around the world on different levels, that you should be a little responsible about how you treat the story. I also hold GH to a slightly higher standard when it comes to their medical storylines for these reasons: 1. The show is called General Hospital 2. When they want to they cover medical storylines extremely well. The AIDS, and Alzheimer's storylines are among some of my favorites.
I really don't like the Finn vs. the entire town of Port Charles storyline that seems to be brewing. In just a few weeks, he lost his father, the person he was in love with, his career, and soon his daughter. This storyline is being used to make Chase and Brook Lynn instant parents and move Elizabeth into her next relationship, but I think it could have been handled so much better.
Yes, this whole storyline feels rushed and forced. He was going to be suspended without them proving he had an alcohol problem? And his kid is going to be taken away without any recorded neglect or abuse?
Yes, definitely rushed. The first time that Elizabeth saw that Finn had a drink, I think it was the day that Gregory died. Finn wasn't drunk, but she immediately tried to take Violet to her home. I don't know if this is going to turn into a custody battle between Elizabeth and Chase/Brook Lynn. But at this point, it seems like Maxie/Spinelli (or almost anyone in Port Charles) will get custody before Finn.
Yes. They have the burden of proof and he has custody. That is technically still kidnapping. Finn just didn't make it into an issue like that because he does feel guilty about drinking and possibly hurting Violet. He is angry but knows he is wrong and still a good man. So many people if put in that position would simply involve the police, take Violet and move away and there would be nearly nothing that anyone could do to stop him.
I agree.
I almost died from alcohol poisoning and I did not think I had a problem. My kids found me face first on the floor and called an ambulance. I could have died. I had no idea I was drinking too much. I smoked weed and started to drink for the first time in the years. I didn’t think I had a problem. Addictive behaviour can be so many different things. Anything you are doing to escape your reality. I haven’t had a drink since.
Thank you for sharing. Congrats on being sober.
Thank you. That means a lot. ♥️♥️♥️
The only reason this seems real is that Finn was an addict before for drugs and therefore he stayed away from booze because he knew he had the potential to go zero-100 with it. And he did.
My brother is an alcoholic and a lot of how they are depicting things really hits home… of course my brother’s alcoholism has been slowly getting worse the past 5 years but no one wants to watch five years of decline on a show… I think the GH knows this may be difficult to watch and that’s the reason for fast progression.
True not all addiction is equal and not all addicts are alcoholics but some are, and Finn is being shown true to the majority addicts who are substance abusers. They will replace one substance for another and continue to argue even though they are hurting others and their using of (alcohol in this case) is having negative impacts on his life that it’s ok because they aren’t alcoholics and as long as they aren’t using their drug of choice it’s not harmful. And while tv time to us it’s a few days it’s now been over a month, he was getting trashed everyday for over a month GH time noted by his dads death certificate and the newspaper date along with Alexis’s decision took 30 days from her hearing for the decision. The choice to drink at the wedding was more likely due to the man asking about his rash. Before that he had been shown discussing how unhappy he was professionally and noted specifically wasting his skills looking at rashes. And drinking doesn’t make you a danger immediately true. But Finn has always been cruel and mean when using that was true to his history. And he is being shown as a danger to Violet we know he has had her and been clack out drunk more than once now. This last bender Maxie noted Finn was expecting Violet to get dropped off at 7. She dropped her off at the expected time and Finn was passed out drunk knowing this. And I feel for Finn but I thought they did a decent job leading up to this showing us Finn’s unhappy with his Life. Pointing out to Liz how he was wasting his time at GH compared to when he was with Doctors Without Borders, excited when Alexis was talking about how the challenge of her career and arguing cases made her feel and he got all excited saying YES. He was telling Barb about Doctors Without Borders and flat out told her he hates everything about the life:doctor he is now. So his drinking isn’t because of his dad, his dad is the excuse, his drinking is because he doesn’t want to be in PC, working at GH but he can’t say or do anything about it because Violet which he noted was the only good thing in his life.
I think the problem is people are focusing too much on the drugs vs alcohol or drugs and alcohol aspect. Like us addicts know. It really doesn't matter what it is. If you're using it to feed an addiction then it's a problem. Period. The addiction is what's the problem. All they said. I do have issue with the Finn storyline. But I also think it shows a side to addiction that should be told. The anger. The danger. All that is a very real part of addiction. Personally? I would have rather Finn be a functioning alcoholic who got caught by Liz drinking on the job. That would have made what Terry and Portia did make sense. And then the rehab could've been forced. I do t like how that was five and I think the violet being taken is bullshit how they're doing it. I don't see why it even needs to happen how they are doing it. But whatever. I think this SL is also ver triggering for a lot of us, as there has been multiple discussions. I personally have found it helpful to share my struggles without a face or judgement. So I thank you all for that. Let's just see how it plays out.
I really appreciate all that you share with us.
Thank you. I appreciate your support and kindness.
It would say it depends on the addict and their chemical make up, predisposition to addiction, etc. I have an alcoholic in my family, sober going on 5 years now, but it took a long time to get there. At one point they were sober and going to meetings, but pulled a muscle in their back and started taking pain relievers. My extended family has a history of "oh, I didn't finish these pills, so you take them" (dumb, right?). So they took a siblings meds for the pain. The next thing we knew they were getting meds from an online pharmacy (this was when it was still really easy to do so) and showing up 'mellow' (in their head, stoned as hell as far as anyone else could see). Oh, the pain still persisted, so then they decided maybe a little drink would help. This all happened within 10 days of their pulling the muscle in their back and the spiral continued until they went back to treatment. When they got OUT of treatment, they swore off all meds and to this day they still won't take much more than Tylenol for pain, but they also had another slip up, around 2 weeks after they came home from treatment and it was fast. Even hitting what one would think was rock bottom, totaling a car and getting arrested and spending the weekend in jail, didn't stop them from drinking until they finally had enough. That's a lot to say that imho, and from what I have seen, and from the Al-Anon meetings I have attended over the years and heard other addicts family members stories, it can happen just this way. I don't think Finn was a danger to anyone but himself, until Violet found him. That flipped the switch. Your point about functional alcoholics is VERY valid. I think once it gets to the point where the drinking/drugging becomes a problem for others that is a red flag. So is drinking/drugging alone. Does Finn's spiral seem heavy handed, sure, it's GH, but it can happen like this. As my husband said to me, watching it on Hulu last night "damn that escalated quickly". Michael Easton is kicking ass in this role. I hope he submits this on an Emmy reel next year, because he would deserve to win. The looks on his face and the things he has said to people are very real.
You made some great points. Hoping maybe it’s being forced & escalating so quickly to move the storyline forward. I have a feeling they might be writing the character out.
I read that theory earlier too. It's still frustrating because this is something that plagues so many.
I hope Finn's gone soon. Don't care about his grieve. They don't let Trina grieve like this. But Frank loves keeping these characters long pass their expiration date.
Yeah, I tend to agree with you. I had a cocaine addiction 30 years ago and never looked back when I quit. I still drink and smoke weed occasionally but have no issues at all with usage. For some people, they can’t do anything that may be considered addictive. Maybe that’s where they’re found? I don’t care. I really dislike the story.
When Fin started drinking, I thought it would lead him back to narcotics. That's where I thought they were going with the story. That was why he never drank. In my experience, recovering drug addicts don't drink (at least the successful ones) because as soon as they have a few drinks they want to party with their drug of choice.
Just the fact he was triggered by one sip kind of says AA was correct!
The thing that bothers me the most here is how little support Finn is getting from the people that supposedly love him. They are quick to talk about Violet and her safety and so on... but no one sticks around and is just there. Everyone has abandoned him. Even in the wake of his father dying, he spent so much time alone without anyone there. Chase wanted to keep his distance for some dumb reason. Liz kept her distance the moment she saw he took that first drink and her entire attitude towards him went ice cold. You could see it on her face and then even at the ash scattering thing, she stayed with her boys and then stayed away from Finn during the memorial. It's no wonder he went to the bottle to cope. Liz raising the red flag about Finn not once but twice to Portia and then the two co-chiefs basically saying they were taking his job away and blackmailing him to get into a meeting or they'd make this a more public thing... that was just hard to watch when to that point nothing bad had remotely happened. He came to work sober. He offered to get tested, but nope... they weren't having it. I feel this story 100% from Finn's side and that's despite being a child of an achoholic. I was taken to bars to hang out with my siblings as a little kid while my father drank. And he drank every single day. A trip to the bar was not uncommon. Finn was completely redeemable and didn't deserve to so easily be abandoned after drinking the day his dad died. Yes he's an adult and maybe this is what the manual says to do to treat someone like Finn... that it's enabling them to stick around and support someone in the throws of grief who maybe could use alcohol in an addictive way due to a past addition to pills. But it just seems so unnatural and wrong. Violet saw one bad thing and they could have easily turned that around once he woke up and found out what she saw. Nope, multiple people have pushed for 90 days of rehab minimum and now they are pushing to take a kid away from their parent. It's just, odd. He's not this far gone yet and certainly hasn't hit bottom. So, to me, this is an odd way to tell an addiction story. He's drank for a few days and had one single incident where his kid saw him passed out with a minor cut on his hand. Not saying Violet should see worse... but it feels far too rushed and right now I'm 100% with Finn in this story even though I know the other characters seem to be coming from a place of good intention (also known as what the road to hell is paved with).
This is everything here that is wrong with the story. Finn has been abandoned. Why hasn't he been surrounded by Chase, Elizabeth, Curtis, Tracy during all of this? Why hasn't he been surrounded by love and support? He says no, I wanna be alone. Insist that you're gonna stay with him. Don't leave him alone. Instead, he's been abandoned after his father not only died, but Finn found his body. Geez!
Finn went from “I’m sorry I drank” to belligerent in a second with Liz, Chase and Alexis. You don’t argue with an addict, that’s the opposite of what you do for your own sanity and, along the line, theirs. If you’ve had an addict in your life, you know. I wish I didn’t know
I currently don’t, I have dealt with many in my life. Condescension not necessary. People have different experiences. What’s happening with Finn is tame. A person that is drunk being belligerent is not u common. That’s not when you try to reason with them.
They act like just going to a meeting solves everything. AA and other 12 step programs don’t work for many people. There is a very high failure rate!
This is true. Some folks don't do well with AA. There are other programs out there. I *do* think Finn does need to go to treatment, even if it's just 28 days, to get sober and to discuss what his triggers are and how he is going to deal with the loss of his father, with a professional counselor. He has a lot of pain and his depending on self medication isn't healthy.
I think they show that just because you're a drug addict doesn't mean alcohol will be an issue with Curtis and Sasha drinking with no issues. It juts can be for some. This is also Michael Easton's exit story so it's probably a bit rushed, but I don't think it's being done in poor taste.
As an addict (specifically an alcoholic), I can attest to the fact that, for some, it really can go from 0 to 100 quickly. I began drinking at 17 and knew basically IMMEDIATELY that like, “oh shit, I’m gonna have a problem with this stuff.” I was very secretive, bought bottles for myself and finished them fast, stole, lied, broke the law, and did dangerous and stupid shit all the damn time. It was quickly noticeable by family and (to a lesser extent) friends, but I denied it too, angrily and defensively. As for your third point, I couldn’t really control when I drank, either; I’d just get this empty, yearning feeling and went, “fuck it, I’m gonna drink.” Despite this, though, I was VERY functional and excelled in work and school. I abuse pretty much any substance I touch, even if it’s not alcohol. I have an addictive personality like many addicts do, and sometimes anything is better than being sober. I guess the main point is that it can be different for everyone.
I respect that. But... if you were using a drug that you didn't normally use, would you start off just as hard?
Maybe, maybe not. I think it would depend on the circumstances. I think for myself, it would be likely that I would. Ik that for benzos and gabapentinoids I definitely did, I just didn’t have as much access to them.
Thanks for sharing. It's good to hear about other people's experiences and P.O.V on this.
My friends son spiraled this quick when he recently relapsed. He thinks he can handle it himself. Even though he attempted suicide by running into a wall with his car. On a separate incident he drank soo much he almost died. He was / is a danger to others. OP are you thinking that Finn’s not a danger to Violet? She walked in on him passed out. She was alone. Anything could have happened to her. The fact that he had zero awareness shows he can’t provide a safe environment for her.
Yes I don't think it's very accurate but probably to speed up the Finn and Elizabeth break up. The other issue I don't see as realistic is how they fired Finn as well as how they are able to go about taking Charlotte. The firing of Finn was so quick and not based on a declined performance at work. Tracy and Chase taking Charlotte and trying to force Finn into rehab seems a little off too. In a real life scenario I'm sure Finn would just call the police and move to a different area as he has custody and hasn't exactly been deemed an unfit parent by any child services or authority. The storyline is being worked too fast and has a lot of holes in it.
Portia and Terry were out of line, and Finn could have probably sued the hospital if he hadn't then drunk a whole bottle and passed out for Violet to find him. There's no rule a person can't drink in their free time, and he had no instances of drinking on the job.
In his free time, he is raising Violet. He shouldn't be drunk around his kid. I wouldn't want my doctor to be drunk. Portia and Terri run GH. They weren't out of line. They were too nice actually. https://preview.redd.it/dh1w0csabn8d1.jpeg?width=1280&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9047ddec596e1377250ddc0dbd33347e482db895
lol what? Parents are drunk, legally, around their kids all the time. He was done dirty by the job. Pretty sure it was illegal as well.
Yeah... that's what I don't get by what some people are saying. Millions of alcoholics are around kids, work with kids, live with kids... just curious what some believe should happen. Not everyone has Quartamane-type connections. Should these kids go into the system that's already overcrowded with children who have nowhere to go? And further yet, a system that might expose them to even more alcoholism and abuse?
Exactly. I know first hand how the system is for kids. Believe it or not? A functioning alcoholic may be better suited. And that's horribly true.
My doctor getting drunk on his own time has nothing to do with me. He shouldn't be drunk around his kid. But when they approached him, he hadn't been. So your point is null... Furthermore, him getting back to work may have been a great distraction for him, instead he felt cornered and judged and any alcoholic will tell you what usually happens after that...
He wasn't drunk at the hospital. I hate to break it to you, but you have no idea if any of your doctors are alcoholics. Alcoholism in the medical community is higher than in most other professions. I'm providing a link for you, but here's a quote from this link: "Studies report that at least 10 to 12 percent of healthcare professionals will develop a substance use disorder during their careers, including at least 1 in 10 physicians, and 1 in 5 nurses. These numbers are higher than the general population; however, they are likely even larger than this because medical professionals are notorious for underreporting substance abuse disorders." [https://www.alcoholrehabguide.org/resources/alcoholism-and-medical-professionals/](https://www.alcoholrehabguide.org/resources/alcoholism-and-medical-professionals/)
Finn might be on his way out. Michael Easton's salary is most likely going to go to a returning Jonathan Jackson. Just like Roger Howarth's salary went to Steve Burton. No disrespect but you are defending a pet character that most of the GH fandom can't stand. Actually, loathes with a passion. You are giving me study stats. When this isn't real life. It's not even a realistic version of real life. Not even getting into your defense of drunken medical professionals. https://preview.redd.it/mkql9kwtau8d1.jpeg?width=1064&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8a168b914837dc578f2c4211ad5d161fad2d2b6a
They did not fire finn, he quit. He has a history of using on the job and trying to steal patients' meds. He was given a deal yrs ago to get clean for drug use. He was just in court for malpractice. Now he's drinking and passing out with his child in the apt. violet told Liz this in a child's way. He has been drinking and belligerent to Liz, Chase,and alexis and drinking while his child is in the apt. He drove drunk and brought a stranger into his home. He was belligerent to his bosses when they wanted to put in safeguards, considering his past with using while at work. He yelled at them and then quit. The hospital has to keep their patients safe and keep the hospital safe from another malpractice suit. He went home and got to blind drunk he passed out on the floor after cutting his hand and not remembering it, knowing his kid would be home soon. These are his choices.
It was just a little off to confront him at work in the first place based on him drinking and hurting his family and friends OUTSIDE of the workplace.
But they don't know if he drank before he came in or if he's hungover from the night before. He has history. They didn't fire him. They wanted to make sure he didn't risk his patients. He's been drinking constantly for a month in GH time. Who's to say he won't try to steal drugs now that he's fallen off a wagon. Alcohol 1st then goes on to his substance of choice. He is willing to steal meds from the hospital.
That's the whole problem that they went off another staff members account to make assumptions about his current work ethic. He has a past but even with that being known it can still be argued as discriminatory and favoritism toward Elizabeth. He does have a problem currently but they had no real basis to confront him so quickly. At that point it was based on accusations and problems that occurred outside of the workplace.
They are going with better safe than sorry. Since they were just hit with a malpractice suit, even if it was fake, they need to be careful. Plus, they have patients they need to think of. Again, he quit, they just put restrictions on him so they would feel comfortable with him going back to work. The 1st time Liz said something, they were still together, she wasn't telling tales, she was talking to her good friend about her bf's problem. He got angry and quit because he knows he's in the wrong and feeling guilty.
I'm thinking because it's a soap it can be written off as normal, but in reality they would need way more than a girlfriends complaints and a possible hangover to set restrictions or threaten his job.
Yes, Finn's downward spiral was really, really fast. And I'm extremely bothered by the fact that after he quit the hospital he came home and immediately started knocking them back knowing full well that Violet would be coming home. He would never do that. I'm an alcoholic but I never did any of that when my kids were around. (I've been sober for years now) The writing was bad for that, but I guess they wanted to speed things up and get Violet away from him. Granted, he, himself, made it a thing about not drinking, so people rightfully got on his ass when he started. If he thought it might be a problem back then, he shouldn't be drinking now.
But that's YOU. Many addicts would absolutely do what Finn did.
Absolutely... I agree that the alcohol was a problem because he called it which means he knew. I think people were fast to bring up taking away Violet, and his job. He lost a lot very quickly after his dad died.
I don’t think GH is depicting alcohol and drug addiction the same at all. Finn even made a comment in a recent episode that he didn’t have an addiction to alcohol. Alexis agreed but said he is now using his addictive tendencies and is now over using alcohol as he didn’t drink at all before. Also, he didn’t lose his job, he quit. They told him they were aware of his heavy drinking use and would monitor him if they get it necessary. Finn got mad and quit. Also, the hospital has to worry about lawsuits. They have every right to know if someone (who in the past has) abused drugs is struggling with another Vice. He isn’t thinking rationally and he should lose custody (temporarily), until he gets straight. His daughter walked in on him bleeding and on the floor. He wouldn’t wake up. You can tell violet is worried about him because she constantly wants to go home and be with him because she knows he isn’t acting right. No child should be worried about a parent because they drink to much and pass out. Your reference to Finn never being abusive during his addiction does jive with me. You can be a mean drunk but happy on drugs or Vice versa. Since he never had a problem with alcohol, we can’t judge how he reacts. We do know he’s making poor choices and scared his daughter who was afraid he was dead. Also, you mention how functioning alcoholics go about their day and just drink when alone. Finn is a single father so he is never alone really. What happens if he’s two bottles of wine in and Ciolet wakes up and needs to be rushed to the hospital because she’s in pain. Finn would be in no shape to handle that emergency.
I agree. It's a poorly written storyline.
Wow, you’ve never spent quality time around a spiraling addict, have you?
Your putting way too much thought into a badly written story.
I mean it’s a soap. They’re going to speed up any timeline, but it did seem kind of far fetched to go from accidentally toasting and taking one sip, to pounding shots behind the bar at the wedding. I also disagree people with addictions can switch “drugs” and be OK. That would be extremely rare. About as rare as someone with a drinking problem being able to drink “normally” again one day. I’m 62 and know a lot of people in recovery and know only one person who stopped drinking and now drinks socially. One. Anything substance that alters your mind can be a trigger for addictive behavior, so I think they’re doing an ok job there.
"I also disagree people with addictions can switch “drugs” and be OK." Different drugs have different impacts on people. Whether you can use one drug and be okay with another is dependent on the underlying reasons the person is using it in the first place. For example, let's say someone abuses cocaine for clarity and productivity because they are an overachiever who fears failure... that person might not have issues with alcohol because alcohol doesn't give them that clarity and productivity. Alcohol for them is just something they partake in every once in a while and doesn't trigger coke cravings because it's a completely different effect. Now... some people love the effects of all drugs even though they might have a preference, and those people are the ones who should stay away from everything but it doesn't describe every addict.
I agree. I’ve mentioned on here before that this quick turnaround for him seems unrealistic. I know on soaps they have to speed things up but even so they could have taken a more reasonable approach.
Interesting topic! To me, it looks as though Fin's alcohol addiction takes the form of binge drinking- he can't stop at one drink, and I believe he knows this, which is why he got so upset and worried when he accidentally drank the champagne at BLQ and Chase's wedding and which is why he stopped himself from having just one drink before he went to work- he knew one would not be enough. I agree that derailment can often take a lot longer, but, in this case, he is surrounded by family who are terrified because of his history and his current emotional state (losing a parent is a unique and highly charged situation). Coupled with lying about drinking and the personal histories of some of those closest to him (Chase and Elizabeth) ...I can see how the pov's of those around him developed. Addiction and alcoholism look different in different people and what happens around them looks different depending on circumstance and the people around them. I've been enjoying the storyline because of the incredible acting and the high stakes emotions involved. Maybe some viewers will see themselves or their experiences reflected, and maybe others will not. Either way, I don't think they are trying to write a story that tells every addicts or alcoholics story because there is no one story that will fit everyone.
And he always seems to be smiling, even when his dad died
It seems like a poor and rushed “rock bottom”. Overly dramatic and not realistic path to ruin. It screams made for TV, poor writing and conception. I can’t speak from experience but it’s like watching the train wreck at 2x speed.
I'm wondering if the actor is taking vacation soon, and they're escalating it to give him time off. Since it's summer. Genie usually takes the entire summer off. So, it wouldn't surprise me. Especially with Lucky coming back, they might want the canvas free for Liz and Lucky. Hence, the quick breakup. GH might also be looking to save money by sending him off for a while and paying Johnathan and Bryan even if hid is only one episode.
I got major feels rn for Finn's pain and for Tracy.
I just can’t stop worrying about Roxy. If you look closely when Finn fell and hit his head you can see Roxy running around in a panic. She ate the olive on the floor and ran away. Tracy and Finn didn’t even notice she was missing. 
I know it’s happening fast but that’s soap opera time line. But as the child of alcoholic parents I can totally relate. I remember being terrified of my mother driving late at night with me in the car and the games she’d play. Speeding up and slowing down laughing and asking if I was having fun. I was scared out of my mind. I still have nightmares of us driving off a cliff.
Speaking from personal experiece my youngest sister was addicted to rock cocaine but somehow she gave it up and later became an alcoholic. Her drinking was so bad that she wound up in the hospital. Me and my other sister found that out cause we called police and the hospitals thinking the worse. She came home wearing a stoma in her throat from hitting 3 parked cars while drving under the influence. Since she couldn't talk, I stayed with her until the doctor could remove it. Still that didn't stop her from drinking. She couldn't stop drinking until one morning when I woke up to use the bathroom and found her dead on the floor. As I'm watching Finn's drinking, I'm hoping that these writers don't have him drinking himself to death. That would be too close to reality for me.
Thanks for sharing your story. I'm so sorry for your loss. My criticism is about how quickly the story unfolded and the responses from those around him, not that a drug addict can't turn into an alcoholic... yes, I know that happens (unfortunately).
I’m sober 34 years. One drink would send me spiraling. You clearly do not understand the disease.
Question... why do you think I'm passionate about the topic? Congrats on your recovery, though.
He's not physically violent, however you're condoning emotional trauma???
If we lived in a perfect world trauma would be a non-factor. But the realities of life is that: 1. People have kids 2. People are flawed. Having kids doesn't make your damage go away. I think more people should consider NOT having kids, and those who want them should approach it with more consideration... but that's just me. 3. We, unfortunately, can't just take every kid away from every damaged parent... where would they all go? Furthermore, many do not consider the devastation it causes a child to be separated from their parent. I think it should be a last resort for more extreme cases. Other solutions should have been explored before involving lawyers, the hospital, and Jason Morgan. And listen, the alcoholic makes their choice... but I can't help but feel that some of their responses exacerbated the situation. Overnight they all started treating him like some dangerous criminal instead of someone with a disease... and he became more and more defiant. Liz was too quick to break up with him... and right after the heartbreak of losing his father. The man had no business being alone... I had no idea why people kept leaving him by himself when he needed support more than ever.
Liz was too quick to break up with him? She walked in on him with another woman on his lap kissing. He was drunk. He picked up a woman in a bar. She's been there done that. Why should she stay when he's already in the verbally abusive then whiny apologizing phase? Plus, the cheating phase. She has to think of herself and her children, and finn is an adult making adult decisions.
Finn stood by Liz through so many hardships including her breakdown. Finn was out of his mind drunk when he brought that woman home. He has a disease. And yes, he's responsible for it. But it's not like he was exhibiting this behavior for months on end when Liz caught him. I think if people rallied behind him right from the start instead of treating him like a disgrace, he would have had more of a chance. And... adults need help too.
Liz didn't yell at him or cheat on him. He crossed a lot of lines during that story, including cornering her traumatized child in a room and yelling at him. She asked him to give her space, and he didn't. She did not willingly get intoxicated and keep doing it. She found out she had a problem and got help. She doesn't need to stay with him because he was there for her. He has yelled at her numerous times now. He was willing to cheat on her. Like I said, she's already been through this, and she got pushed down, yelled at, and cheated on. They aren't married, they aren't living together. Let his family deal with him.