High Bottom Drunk: A Novel...and the Truth about Addiction & Recovery - Softcover

Charles N. Roper, PhD

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0967752906 ISBN 13: 9780967752907

Publisher: Small Change Publishing Co, 1999

Synopsis

In the tradition of Alcoholics Anonymous, High Bottom Drunk: A Novel...and the Truth about Addiction & Recovery melds three stories (what it was like, what happened, and what it's like now) together into one extraordinary tale of addiction and recovery.

"What it was like" chronicles Steve Campbell's downward slide toward his alcoholic/addict "bottom." Along the way, this so-called "golden boy" loses his Midas touch, but not his staunch denial.

"What happened" patiently watches Steve hit that bottom hard enough to crack his denial and offer him an honest look at himself. Steve hitting bottom is not a pretty sight, but it's very, very real.

"What it's like now" follows Steve's upward climb toward recovery and spiritual redemption. Though rocky and painful in spots, his journey is remarkable and quite beautiful.

Because High Bottom Drunk does not fit neatly in any particular writing genre, it has been given many labels. Of those, "Historical Self-help Fiction" best describes this exceptional work.

About this title

About the Author

Charles Roper lives in Buda, Texas, a pinpoint dot on the map about ten miles south of Austin. He resides there with his wife, Joan, two of their four kids (Andrew & Kathryn), three dogs, four cats, a ferret, a cockatiel, and some-odd fish. His other two children (Kim & Grady) are grown and have families of their own.

By trade, Dr. Roper is an addictions counselor. He began working in that field in 1983, the same year that he received his doctorate degree in Educational Psychology from The University of Texas at Austin, and also the same year that he got sober and into recovery from alcohol and drug addiction.

He founded Solutions Counseling & Treatment Center in 1985 and ran it until 1994, when he sold it to an international hospital corporation. Solutions continues to operate today under the name La Hacienda's Solutions.

Following a two-year break from the addictions field, during which he completed the first draft of High Bottom Drunk, Dr. Roper went to work for Austin Recovery Center, a large non-profit addictions treatment facility in and around Austin. He served as ARC's Director of Training & Quality Control, then Clinical Director, and finally Director of Adolescent Services. He left ARC in 1999.

Charles worked on High Bottom Drunk off and on for about five years. "I actually got the idea for High Bottom Drunk in 1990 while on a solo hiking trip in the Colorado Rockies. It was "a God thing" as we say in recovery meetings. I prayed for direction for my life, and the book, including the title and opening paragraph, popped into my head. I promised myself right then and there that I would write it. I never doubted that I would, even though it took me awhile."

People have asked Charles how much of High Bottom Drunk is autobiographical. He replies, "Oh, about two-thirds or so, but I'd be pretty hard-pressed to say exactly which two-thirds it is. I'm afraid that if I did that, my mom might disown me. And I'm not kidding about that. On the other hand, the book's perspective on addiction and recovery is fully my own. It represents what I've learned over the years from my own dumb mistakes added to the wisdom that I've culled from other addicts, both those in recovery and those not yet there."

And what's on the horizon? Dr. Roper is working on his second novel, Elephants in the Living Room, Tigers behind the Doors. "The idea for Elephants... & Tigers... came to me one night when I was thinking about Steve Campbell's childhood and adolescent years. [Note: Steve Campbell is High Bottom Drunk's protagonist.]

"Both of Steve's parents were alcoholics. His dad was an unstable, violent alcoholic. I pictured a 16-year-old Steve in his bedroom, with his door closed and locked, sitting at his desk and writing in his journal about his lonely, confusing, screwed up life. I put myself in his place, and because I'm familiar with his circumstances, I started writing from his perspective. Before I knew it, I was hooked, and Elephants in the Living Room, Tigers behind the Doors had been born.

"At first, I thought it would be a book about adolescents, for adolescents. It didn't turn out that way, though. It's a story about people, for people. I do believe, however, that adolescents will understand Elephants... & Tigers.... I know I would have. It would have helped me a great deal."

Charles feels passionate about his writing. "I can't even think of it as work," he says. "In fact, when I meet people for the first time, and they ask me what I do, I usually just say that I'm retired."

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

From the Introduction: I knew from our first meeting that Steve was good story material, and I wrote the first few pages of High Bottom Drunk not long after our first visit. When I told him what I had in mind regarding his story he laughed out loud. "Yeah, right," he said. "Like there's anything interesting enough about me to put in a fucking book." I assured him that there was. "Yeah, whatever," he said with a dismissing wave of his hand.

I began sharing the High Bottom Drunk manuscript with Steve when I was two years into the project, about six months following a very significant turn in his life. When he realized the extent of my work he was dumbfounded.

"This is unbelievable, man. I mean, I knew you were kind of working on my story, but this is a goddamn epic. Look at this. I don't even remember telling you some of this stuff."

"It's fiction, Steve. It's a novel," I said, smiling.

He laughed. "A novel, huh? That's a good one. Man, what are all of these people going to think when they see this? Holy shit, what's my mom gonna say?"

I said, "Just tell them the truth. It's a novel. It's fiction. It says so right there on the opening pages of the book."

Steve caught his breath, got his feet under him, and shook his head slowly. "Well...I guess you know what you're doing," he said.

"Does it scare you?" I asked.

He looked down at the manuscript in his hands and spoke softly. "Yeah, I guess it does. I mean, there's just so much of it, you know? And it's so damn graphic."

Fortunately, Steve's doubts concerning High Bottom Drunk faded quickly. Within a couple of weeks he had gathered enthusiasm for the project and had climbed on board to support it. He helped edit some of the more difficult parts of the story. He convinced me to leave myself and our relationship out of the story line altogether, suggesting instead that I simply tell the story from the viewpoint of an invisible, omniscient observer.

"Ah, sort of a God-like J. D. Salinger hiding in the shadows, huh?" I asked.

"Well, isn't that pretty much the way you see yourself?" he replied.

I didn't ask him how much, if at all, he was kidding.

Edition details

• Publisher: Small Change Publishing Co
• Publication date: 1999
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0967752906
• ISBN 13: 9780967752907
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 476