Posted by mark on August 18, 2000, at 22:41:00
In reply to Re: Problems with Alcohol - Reasons to Stop (long), posted by Lisa Simpson on August 17, 2000, at 7:13:55
> Mark, I'd be real interested in hearing about "Rational Recovery" / the Beast principle, if you have the time and inclination to talk about it. From what I've heard about the AA, I don't think it would suit me either.
>
I'm out of town and don't have the book with me, but I looked on Amazon.com and I think
the book is "The Thinker's Guide to Recovery: A Rational Approach" by Kenneth B. Peiser
and Martin Sandry. The book is out-of-print and I first found it at the library and was
later able to pick it up at a used bookstore.The book made sense to me because it talks about having a part of your personality
that wants to drink and tricks/coerces/lies/etc you into abusing when you don't want
to. That part of your personality needs to use and you are simply the method through
which it gets satisfaction. It gets the drink/drug/whatever, is satisfied and leaves
you to deal with the consequences of its action. When I say, "I don't want to drink"
I really mean it. But part of my brain is saying, "Yeah, but I do and you are how I get
it and I'm going to manipulate you anyway I can to get what I want." The book puts it
in terms of an abusive relationship. The question becomes: Would I stay in a relationship
where I'm used, abused, and left alone to deal with the consequences?And that's where the BEAST principle comes in. BEAST is an acronym for B-boozing opportunity,
E-enemy voice recognition, A-accuse the enemy of malice against you, S-self talk affirmations,
and T-treasure your sobriety. So when I'm driving home from work, for example, and I know
there's a liquor store nearby and I start thinking, "I want to stop and get a pint of X. It
would really feel good to get a buzz on tonight." I can recognize the B-boozing opportunity -
the liquor store - and realize that the E-enemy wants alcohol and needs me to get it. The book
says to give your enemy a name. I call mine Beast because I have no imagination. :-) When I
recognize that the Beast is trying to get me to drink for him I A-accuse him of trying to get
me to do something that I don't want to do. I tell him I'm not going to drink for him because
he's not the one who ends up smashed, puking his brains out, and feeling rotten the next day.
I tell him and remind myself with S-self talk that feel good when I don't drink, I enjoy my
evenings sober and being able to do things, that when I drink I shut myself off from the
people around me and that hurts me and them, and that I enjoy waking up feeling good and
being able to function the next day. I tell him I T-tresure my sobriety and the rewards
that I get from it are positive and not negative like the results of drinking.Sometimes the Beast wins and catches me off guard. But even with the occaisional slip I'm
way better off than I was. And slips are very rare anymore. I feel more in control and better
about myself for standing up against the abuse.So try different things, Lisa, and find what works for you. We're here for you.
Big hugs,
Mark
poster:mark
thread:42413
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20000811/msgs/43289.html