Beyond the Influence...
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Beyond the Influence...
I ordered both the books Under the Influence and Beyond the Influence and finished both books in a few days. Great stuff and I'm getting ready to read through them again.
Anyway - one of the stories in Beyond the Influence hit me right between the eyes because I was always looking for reasons as to why I drank. I thought if I could figure that out - it would be easy to quit. In short, my father-in-law tried to pound it through my head that it doesn't matter why I drink right now - I need to just stop drinking!
Some of you may have heard this before but I thought I'd post it for those who haven't...
Paul, an alcoholic, is bound and determined to swim three miles across a glacier-fed lake, carrying a thirty-pound anvil the whole way. Jumping into the ice-cold water, he begins to swim across with one arm, holding on to that anvil as if for dear life. Less than halfway across, he is struggling mightily. The anvil, which seemed so easy to lift when he was back on shore, now feels like an anchor. His lungs are burning, his muscles are screaming, and he is beginning to panic.
On the opposite shore he can hear people yelling. A minister cries out, "Hang on! We're praying for you!". A doctor shouts, "Don't give up! We're doing research, and eventually we'll figure this out!". A psychiatrist loudly encourages the sinking swimmer to reflect on his childhood in order to lighten his load, while a philosopher holds up a huge banner printed with big letters: "Willpower! Ethics! Morals!".
Confused, gasping for breath, certain that he is about to die, Paul hears one clear, insistent voice rising above the others.
It is the voice of an AA member; "DROP THE DAMN ANVIL!".
Anyway - one of the stories in Beyond the Influence hit me right between the eyes because I was always looking for reasons as to why I drank. I thought if I could figure that out - it would be easy to quit. In short, my father-in-law tried to pound it through my head that it doesn't matter why I drink right now - I need to just stop drinking!
Some of you may have heard this before but I thought I'd post it for those who haven't...
Paul, an alcoholic, is bound and determined to swim three miles across a glacier-fed lake, carrying a thirty-pound anvil the whole way. Jumping into the ice-cold water, he begins to swim across with one arm, holding on to that anvil as if for dear life. Less than halfway across, he is struggling mightily. The anvil, which seemed so easy to lift when he was back on shore, now feels like an anchor. His lungs are burning, his muscles are screaming, and he is beginning to panic.
On the opposite shore he can hear people yelling. A minister cries out, "Hang on! We're praying for you!". A doctor shouts, "Don't give up! We're doing research, and eventually we'll figure this out!". A psychiatrist loudly encourages the sinking swimmer to reflect on his childhood in order to lighten his load, while a philosopher holds up a huge banner printed with big letters: "Willpower! Ethics! Morals!".
Confused, gasping for breath, certain that he is about to die, Paul hears one clear, insistent voice rising above the others.
It is the voice of an AA member; "DROP THE DAMN ANVIL!".
Forward we go...side by side-Rest In Peace
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Serene In Dixie
Posts: 36,740
Thanks Glen...
"Under The Infllunce" convinced me to quit in '89. I've not read the sequel.
While not everything ertained to me...a lot did..it was an eye opener.
I took that info..re connected to my God...began working the Steps of AA...and have not returned to drinking....
Forward we go side by side
"Under The Infllunce" convinced me to quit in '89. I've not read the sequel.
While not everything ertained to me...a lot did..it was an eye opener.
I took that info..re connected to my God...began working the Steps of AA...and have not returned to drinking....
Forward we go side by side
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Join Date: Jun 2008
Posts: 14
In Beyond the Influence, some of the information is duplicated from Under the Influence but it was still very worth the read and had lot of new and updated information.
Both books were very helpful in understanding why I do what I do... I would recommend them both to anyone!
Glen
Both books were very helpful in understanding why I do what I do... I would recommend them both to anyone!
Glen
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Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: « USA » Recovered with AVRT (Rational Recovery) ___________
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I have both, but I tend to recommend "Under the Influence."
It just seems far more concise than the sequel, and by adding all the extra fluff, I think it obscured one of the more important points made in UTI, which is the role played by acetaldehyde and the MEOS overflow pathway in alcohol craving and alcohol dependence.
Basically, the premise in UTI is that people prone to alcohol dependence process acetaldehyde slower than people who are not prone to it. For others, the MEOS overflow pathway is "ramped up" in response to chronic drinking, which leads to ethanol breakdown into acetaldehyde faster. It appears that the MEOS pathway does not return to normal after that.
This correlated with my own experience. For years, I was able to drink astronomical amounts without a hangover, and then one day it felt like something just broke inside. I have to assume that either the MEOS pathway ramped up, that my liver became less efficient, or both.
I even tested this theory by taking large amounts of NAC prior to drinking, which is very effective at neutralizing acetaldehyde. The end result was no hangover, just as in the "old days", at least for a while. Don't try this at home, kids !
That said, Beyond the Influence does have some interesting new material.
Quick overview of MEOS pathway:
Spotlight on Alcohol - MEOS Overflow Pathway
It just seems far more concise than the sequel, and by adding all the extra fluff, I think it obscured one of the more important points made in UTI, which is the role played by acetaldehyde and the MEOS overflow pathway in alcohol craving and alcohol dependence.
Basically, the premise in UTI is that people prone to alcohol dependence process acetaldehyde slower than people who are not prone to it. For others, the MEOS overflow pathway is "ramped up" in response to chronic drinking, which leads to ethanol breakdown into acetaldehyde faster. It appears that the MEOS pathway does not return to normal after that.
This correlated with my own experience. For years, I was able to drink astronomical amounts without a hangover, and then one day it felt like something just broke inside. I have to assume that either the MEOS pathway ramped up, that my liver became less efficient, or both.
I even tested this theory by taking large amounts of NAC prior to drinking, which is very effective at neutralizing acetaldehyde. The end result was no hangover, just as in the "old days", at least for a while. Don't try this at home, kids !
That said, Beyond the Influence does have some interesting new material.
Quick overview of MEOS pathway:
Spotlight on Alcohol - MEOS Overflow Pathway
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Join Date: Nov 2010
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Glen, I just read your post as I was sitting at work. I can honestly say that your post made my day better. I was having a bad day initially because I was grouchy and thinking why do I care so much about recovery. That quote really inspired me to stay on the path that I have laid out for myself. Thank you so much for sharing. 
Forward we go...side by side-Rest In Peace
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Serene In Dixie
Posts: 36,740
We have had excerpts from 'Under The Influence" as a sticky post here for years......
http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...influence.html
It is a bit disjointed because we had a major site crash after GreenTea took the time to post Thanks again GT....
AVRT...thank you for the link......I'm glad you too found UTI useful.
http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...influence.html
It is a bit disjointed because we had a major site crash after GreenTea took the time to post Thanks again GT....
AVRT...thank you for the link...
...I'm glad you too found UTI useful.
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Carol,
The sticky notes were what caught my attention... it's a well-written book and easy to understand... you don't have to have a PhD to understand the details. So yes - thanks to GT for posting the excerpts! These books were the best money I've spent in a while (I think I got them both for $24 (including shipping) from Amazon).
Also you can read a free preview (on Google Books) of Beyond the Influence for anyone that's interested.
Glen
The sticky notes were what caught my attention... it's a well-written book and easy to understand... you don't have to have a PhD to understand the details. So yes - thanks to GT for posting the excerpts! These books were the best money I've spent in a while (I think I got them both for $24 (including shipping) from Amazon).
Also you can read a free preview (on Google Books) of Beyond the Influence for anyone that's interested.
Glen
Sept 30, 2010
Join Date: Oct 2010
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I have heard of both books but have not read either, but I have posted a couple of times in SR that even tho I was a fairly functional (for the most part) alcoholic, stopping made me feel as if I had lost 100 lbs. I posted that the hiding, lying, pretending, etc that came with being a closet alcoholic made me feel as if was carrying an anvil around with me day in and day night.
Thanks.
Thanks.
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Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Surrey, UK
Posts: 99
Both those books, particularly Under the Influence, are my recovery bibles. During active addiction I read and researched everything about my drinking problem: AA literature, self-help books, biographies, memoirs, scientific studies. I got so tired of all the competing arguments and debate about the causes of alcoholism. But after these books, I felt I could finally nail my flag to their post so to speak. Which was just as well because to have a clear medical explanation for alcoholism, and recovery, came as the purest kind of relief. So it's not 'cos I'm weak? Abused in childhood? Deviant? etc? Turns out I'm an alcoholic because my body doesn't process alcohol the same way as non-drinkers'. Sounds obvious, but accepting the illness, nee' disease, on the evidence offered by these books have enabled me to see myself as merely having a condition. The same as if I were to have diabetes or MS. I was born with this. I was alcoholic even before I ever picked up a drink.
It might sound strange to say that these facts give me comfort but it's true. It's miserable luck to be born an alcoholic, but you know what? As fragile as my 8 month sobriety has been so far. I'm tempted to believe that it's also an opportunity, a chance to discover that I am capable of so much more in life if I can manage my condition and prevail in spite of it.
Peace
It might sound strange to say that these facts give me comfort but it's true. It's miserable luck to be born an alcoholic, but you know what? As fragile as my 8 month sobriety has been so far. I'm tempted to believe that it's also an opportunity, a chance to discover that I am capable of so much more in life if I can manage my condition and prevail in spite of it.
Peace
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I was born with this. I was alcoholic even before I ever picked up a drink. It might sound strange to say that these facts give me comfort but it's true.
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Just wanted to add, that if it weren't for SR and the sticky posts for 'Under the Influence' on here, I may never have discovered these books about three years ago which pretty much kicked off my journey out of active addiction and into recovery.
SR, you're literally life-savers! :-)
SR, you're literally life-savers! :-)
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Originally Posted by Hudstar 
Just wanted to add, that if it weren't for SR and the sticky posts for 'Under the Influence' on here, I may never have discovered these books about three years ago which pretty much kicked off my journey out of active addiction and into recovery.
SR, you're literally life-savers! :-)
SR, you're literally life-savers! :-)
— Malcolm X
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Location: Michigan
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I read "Beyond the Influence" last year and found it to be a very straight forward read written in a really easy to understand manner that really helped me to understand quite a bit about myself. Never did read the first one but I would for sure suggest "Beyond the Influence" as a read for anyone that is battling alcohol.
Steve
Steve
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