2 brains
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2015
Location: USA
Posts: 5,250
2 brains
I was watching an episode of the television show "Intervention" yesterday about a woman who was an alcoholic.
She said something that really made sense to me. She said "It's like I literally have 2 brains and I never know which one is gonna be in charge that day!"
She went on to say "If my alcoholic brain is stronger than my sober brain....no matter what I do I will drink! The alcoholic brain literally takes over my mind & body and makes me drink!"
I'm sober now and grateful but I really related to what she said in a weird sorta way.
What do you guys think?
She said something that really made sense to me. She said "It's like I literally have 2 brains and I never know which one is gonna be in charge that day!"
She went on to say "If my alcoholic brain is stronger than my sober brain....no matter what I do I will drink! The alcoholic brain literally takes over my mind & body and makes me drink!"
I'm sober now and grateful but I really related to what she said in a weird sorta way.
What do you guys think?
Administrator
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Australia
Posts: 211,435
I found this parable very useful 
D
One evening an old Cherokee told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside people.
He said, “My son, the battle is between two wolves inside us all.
“One is Evil – It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.
“The other is Good – It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith.”
The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather: “Which wolf wins?”
The old Cherokee simply replied, “The one you feed.”
He said, “My son, the battle is between two wolves inside us all.
“One is Evil – It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.
“The other is Good – It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith.”
The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather: “Which wolf wins?”
The old Cherokee simply replied, “The one you feed.”
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Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: CA
Posts: 210
I can relate. It reminds of a Native American story about how inside each person there are two wolves. One wolf represents love and compassion the other fear and resentment. The wolves are in a fight- which one wins? The one that you feed.
Member
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 5,785
While I can relate to where she's coming from, I don't agree. We each have a choice in whether we're going to pick up, or not, even though it can be extremely hard. If we didn't have any choice in the matter as to whether we drank or not on any given day, no one would be sober for very long.
Member
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Ireland
Posts: 25,826
Sobriety is definitly more of a mental battle than a physical battle, that's where the battles and the war is won or lost.
I disagree though on the phrase "no matter what I do I will drink", that's simply giving over all the power to alcohol and saying it's inevitable and there is nothing that can be done, we need instead to get that out of our thinking.
There are many things that can be done, Sobriety could never be achievable if the battle is already lost, when our addiction kicks in on a particular day, support, having a plan, no one one forced me to buy alcohol and no one forced me to drink it, if I sat in my house and didn't go anywhere I wouldn't drink, extreme measures may be required but we can short circuit our addiction if we want to!!
I disagree though on the phrase "no matter what I do I will drink", that's simply giving over all the power to alcohol and saying it's inevitable and there is nothing that can be done, we need instead to get that out of our thinking.
There are many things that can be done, Sobriety could never be achievable if the battle is already lost, when our addiction kicks in on a particular day, support, having a plan, no one one forced me to buy alcohol and no one forced me to drink it, if I sat in my house and didn't go anywhere I wouldn't drink, extreme measures may be required but we can short circuit our addiction if we want to!!
Do your best
Join Date: Aug 2014
Posts: 67,047
My brother sent me a pic of the 2 wolves story/parable it made sense the second I read it back in 2013 I now have it framed as someone got me it as a Christmas gift in 2013
Everyone should read that parable to me it makes so much sense
Everyone should read that parable to me it makes so much sense
bona fido dog-lover
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: SF Bay area, CA
Posts: 99,777
When I was still drinking, I felt like I had two sides of me. The one that still wanted to drink was 'in control'. But when I wanted to be sober more than I wanted to drink, the rational side of me won and I stayed sober.
Member
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: NSW - Australia
Posts: 14,586
The name of the wolf I feed is named Choice. The name of the wolf I starve is named Powerlessness. Until I learned that there was a wolf within worthwhile feeding I would remain blindly powerless and inevitably drink given the circumstances. I had to know that I was worthwhile feeding before I could make any real choice. Both theories hold a place in my view. I just had to find that I did have a choice otherwise I WAS truly powerless.
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