Go Back  SoberRecovery : Alcoholism Drug Addiction Help and Information > Secular Recovery > Secular Connections
Reload this Page >

Does the beast ever truly die or will it always be there lurking?



Does the beast ever truly die or will it always be there lurking?

Old 07-09-2013, 03:53 AM
  # 21 (permalink)  
Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2011
Posts: 140
Originally Posted by bigsombrero View Post
Right now I continue to remind myself never to let my life get so boring, that a drink becomes appealing.
Yeah. I took around one day, and realized... you know my apartment has a gym complex, I have a library card, I have plenty of books sitting around I've never ready, plenty of video games I've never finished, plenty of accounting terminology and things that I should study, access to netflix... and much much more. Really to say that I'm bored is a defeatist when I'm sitting in between so many comforts in life. It's just the beer sort of sat on top of all that for a time and made it all seem like such a waste of time without it.
RaiseAnchor is offline  
Old 07-09-2013, 02:24 PM
  # 22 (permalink)  
Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: UK
Posts: 165
I can only speak for myself, but what you call the 'beast' and other people the AV (which I think is about equivalent to what I experience as the genuine want for a drink...) for me it's kind of dormant. I certainly haven't struggled recently (been sober 8 years almost). But I get the impression it might well not be actually dead. If I found myself in the wrong situation at the wrong time, it would probably rear its ugly, ugly head again. If it did, I would struggle. I'd expect myself to kick it's arse, but it wouldn't be easy and it probably wouldn't be certain that I'd manage to beat it.

But to arrive at that situation would take a series of bad choices on my part and (I hope) I've learned the self-reflection that after the first couple of mis-steps I'd recognise the dangers and take some big steps away.

The fact I couldn't guarantee to beat it is a constant reminder to me that I shouldn't poke it with any 'wrong choice' sticks.

However you name it, however you deal with it, the difficulties do get - I won't say they get easier, because everyone finds it different - but for me they slowly got less immediate.
tehmazzyland is offline  
Old 07-09-2013, 02:49 PM
  # 23 (permalink)  
Member
 
Peter G's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Singapore
Posts: 737
Originally Posted by RaiseAnchor View Post
Yeah. I took around one day, and realized... you know my apartment has a gym complex, I have a library card, I have plenty of books sitting around I've never ready, plenty of video games I've never finished, plenty of accounting terminology and things that I should study, access to netflix... and much much more. Really to say that I'm bored is a defeatist when I'm sitting in between so many comforts in life. It's just the beer sort of sat on top of all that for a time and made it all seem like such a waste of time without it.
Man, speaking of Rational Recovery, what you're pointing out is such a bloody brilliant example of 'beast talk' being played out, because you're absolutely right... there is no such thing as boredom in 2013. I mean, of course there is, but hopefully you get the point.

Anyone capable of posting on this forum right now has it within their immediate power to learn a language, write a journal, connect with old friends, argue politics, watch endless hours of movies, TV, youtube free dance lessons, e.t.c... Seriously, the possibilities to keep occupied and stimulated are endless already - without even moving a muscle.

Thing is; it's actually not 'boredom' that gets us owly and frustrated at the lack of stimuli. Not at all. It is absolutely 'beast talk'. That clown is making his best effort to convince us that nothing at all, other than booze, is worth the tiniest effort - so why bother?

The next evolution in this particular beast attack strategy, for me, was that if I found something to cure an impending 'boredom' crisis, he would merely step up his game a notch: "OK so you found something to do, but seriously, wouldn't it be 100 x cooler if you had a few drinks while you're enjoying yourself?"

Insidious sack of crap.

The 'boredom' thing, which I'd say almost everyone can get deeply caught up in at some point during the first 6 months to a year, is nothing more than the beast doing a bad impression and exerting manipulation to try and take back control of our rational brains.

Herein is where I really started feeling the whole Rational Recovery vibe... because 'boredom' was always my instant go-to relapse excuse. But once AVRT gave me ability to recognize this obvious fail and objectify it? That boredom ploy lost ALL it's power, instantly. When my brain said "I'm bored" I knew immediately to stop listening to the inside of my head, stop sulking, get up off my a$$, and do something. Could almost hear my AV deflating when, instead of getting a bottle, I sat down to the drum kit, went rowing, or called a friend.

Just thought I'd share that... please excuse if I'm off track or upsetting the flow somehow.
Peter G is offline  
Old 07-09-2013, 03:40 PM
  # 24 (permalink)  
Member
Thread Starter
 
TameTheBeast's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Aurora
Posts: 48
Originally Posted by Peter G View Post
Man, speaking of Rational Recovery, what you're pointing out is such a bloody brilliant example of 'beast talk' being played out, because you're absolutely right... there is no such thing as boredom in 2013. I mean, of course there is, but hopefully you get the point.

Anyone capable of posting on this forum right now has it within their immediate power to learn a language, write a journal, connect with old friends, argue politics, watch endless hours of movies, TV, youtube free dance lessons, e.t.c... Seriously, the possibilities to keep occupied and stimulated are endless already - without even moving a muscle.

Thing is; it's actually not 'boredom' that gets us owly and frustrated at the lack of stimuli. Not at all. It is absolutely 'beast talk'. That clown is making his best effort to convince us that nothing at all, other than booze, is worth the tiniest effort - so why bother?

The next evolution in this particular beast attack strategy, for me, was that if I found something to cure an impending 'boredom' crisis, he would merely step up his game a notch: "OK so you found something to do, but seriously, wouldn't it be 100 x cooler if you had a few drinks while you're enjoying yourself?"

Insidious sack of crap.

The 'boredom' thing, which I'd say almost everyone can get deeply caught up in at some point during the first 6 months to a year, is nothing more than the beast doing a bad impression and exerting manipulation to try and take back control of our rational brains.

Herein is where I really started feeling the whole Rational Recovery vibe... because 'boredom' was always my instant go-to relapse excuse. But once AVRT gave me ability to recognize this obvious fail and objectify it? That boredom ploy lost ALL it's power, instantly. When my brain said "I'm bored" I knew immediately to stop listening to the inside of my head, stop sulking, get up off my a$$, and do something. Could almost hear my AV deflating when, instead of getting a bottle, I sat down to the drum kit, went rowing, or called a friend.

Just thought I'd share that... please excuse if I'm off track or upsetting the flow somehow.
Thanks, I can relate a lot!
TameTheBeast is offline  
Old 07-09-2013, 07:19 PM
  # 25 (permalink)  
Member
 
DoubtfulDebs's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2011
Posts: 113
Originally Posted by Peter G View Post
Insidious sack of crap.
BEST description of the beast/AV ever!

we can't (with respect and only opinion!) 'tame' the beast, we can only recognise when it tries to hijack our thinking, maybe repeat the Big Plan in your head, and go do something else.

as long as i tried to struggle with my beast/AV, treating it like an entity capable of reason, or at least something worthy of ANY interaction from myself (eg, arguing with it or trying to reason with it) i struggled and 'white knuckled' but once i accepted it as no more than a cold sore or other recurring biological fact, 99% of its power as 'dr beast' or whatever, by which 'it' could persuade me to drink against my better judgement by using images, concepts etc that supported drinking, all just evaporated.
DoubtfulDebs is offline  

Currently Active Users Viewing this Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are Off




All times are GMT -7. The time now is 03:00 PM.