THE ALCOHOLIC WITHIN US

[Music] [Music] Come on. Come on. What is a person? What is his mind like? Suppose we imagine a person's mind to be divided into many rooms. Living in some of these rooms would be those things we call emotions. Let's go one step further and imagine these emotions to be individual people. Then we could say the emotions are like a family living within our minds. If the members of this family, the emotions, didn't get along well, we might call them an unhappy family. For now, let us imagine we are inside such a mind. All the emotions you will meet could be the emotions of any of us. But because these emotions cannot cope or deal with life, they represent the emotions inside a particular kind of person, the potential alcoholic. Please let me in. I'm scared out here. Well, who's there? It's only me. Careful. Please let me in. Okay, come on in. Hello, Lonely. You know, I I haven't had anyone in my room for for such a long time. That's because you never invite anyone to your room lonely. That's why no one ever comes. Are you going to that meeting? The one maturity called? Are you? I'd like to go, but I'm scared. I I I thought maybe they Okay, I'll take you if you want. I would like to see the others again, although I I never know what to say to them when I do. Well, I'm not surprised everyone's late. I don't think I want to go anymore. Come on, Fierce. It's all right. Don't worry. Come on in, you two. Okay. Glad you're here. Let me explain why I call this meeting. Now, look, we've got a problem here, and it's about time that we do something about it. What do you mean? That sounds scary. Well, a lot of us live here, but we don't seem to be doing very well. What I'm saying is it it seems that we're just not able to cope with life. And I don't think that we will until all of us try to understand ourselves and each other. Does that make any sense? Not really. Well, why do we have to live together? I would just assume live alone. Yes, but you're not alone lonely. All of us live here, too, whether you like it or not. Now, that's just a fact. Well, what do you want us to do? Well, I'm not sure. But we could start by talking to each other. Come on, let's go find the others. Okay. Is it all right with you, fearful? No, but I'll go. I don't want to stay here alone. [Applause] [Music] I don't see why has to live down here in the basement. Well, I guess it's because he feels inadequate. Still doesn't think that he deserves a room. I'd be too scared to live down here. I just don't understand that inadequate at all. And that's why I call this meeting purple. That's exactly why. I don't know why I pay all this attention to you inadequate. Well, I do. You're insecure, right? You keep hanging around me because I'm the only one in this whole place that you can feel superior to. You don't have to feel so insecure. I like you. That's why I pay attention to you. No, you don't like me. There's nothing in me to like. We've been waiting for you two. What do you need me for? You didn't come all the way down here for us. Sure I did. I want you to come and talk with the others. Talk with the others? What about? Oh, just about yourself. About how you're feeling? Oh. Oh, no. I don't want everybody laughing at me. I don't have anything to say. I I don't want to just talk and take up everybody's time. Well, why don't you come and just listen? Come on, Lonely. Why don't you start? Well, I don't know. I I've never tried to explain it to anyone before. It's good reason to try now. I'll try. Well, whenever I go somewhere, it seems as if everyone knows each other and that I'm the only one who's alone. If I go for a walk in the park, I can see everyone with someone. Oh, I talk to people sometimes, but nothing really gets said. I we say words and I smile and and they smile at me, but well, nothing really gets said. I just feel more alone than before. I'd like to be alone, lonely. And I would be too if I wasn't so afraid of being alone. I feel the same way as you, fearful, for different reasons. I'm so insecure that when I see people, I try too hard to be liked. I mean, I just talk and talk. I can tell they're not interested, but I keep on trying. I want so much to be liked, but I know I never am. You see, a few of you have very similar feelings. You don't have to feel sorry for yourself, and it really makes me mad or think you're the only ones that feel different by you and everybody else. But I don't even know what I did wrong. He won't tell me. And you know what? I'm not going to tell you either. What's going on with you two? Oh, great. The goody goody act now. This is great. This is really a great place to live. Oh, come on, resentful. You know what I'd love knowing? I'd love knowing why I had to leave my nice, comfortable room and come to this ridiculous, stupid meeting. You didn't have to. You just came, that's all. You You've always got an answer for everything, don't you? You think you're really smart, don't you? Well Well, you maybe never noticed, but I'm pretty smart, too. And I can I'm really I'm really sorry about this. It isn't my fault. I really did try to be nice to him, and it is It is It isn't my fault. No, guilty. You were right the first time. It really isn't your fault. Resentful. Will you sit down? Come on over here and talk to us. Maybe you can tell us what it feels like to be guilty. Why? We're trying to understand each other. What do they want to understand about me? Lots of other emotions live in this house anyway. Why do you just want to talk to us? Cuz you six emotions are the ones that are causing the problem. But I haven't done anything. Nothing really. Nobody thinks you've done anything guilty except you. Well, as a matter of fact, I do think I've done things wrong. Every time something goes wrong, I think it's my fault. Oh, that was terribly interesting. Guilty. I I know. I'm sorry. I'm boring and a waste of time. Don't forget that one. You always say that one after the part about being boring. Resentful. You're so angry with everyone all the time. Maybe we should get to the bottom of what your problem is. My problem? I haven't got any problems at all. If you want to talk about problems, I'll tell you some people to talk to. But don't waste your time on me. You know, the only problem I've ever had is because of other people's problems. So, you go save immaturity and just leave me alone. I'm fine and I've got no problems. Look, I don't know why we have to keep fighting each other. Can't we just sit down and work our problems out? What can we do? I think if we make an effort, we can learn to live together now. It'll take time, but time is going to pass whether we use it well or not. So, we might as well use it to make an effort. I don't know. But it's true and secure. Believe me, if you use your time to make an effort, you find yourself feeling less insecure and eventually you'll feel like you're coping. Hey, now that's one of the stupidest things I ever heard. Well, hello, immaturity. Are you sure you really listen? Oh, enough. Only I I I don't like listening to you. Why did you come? Nobody invited you. Oh, that's too bad. I I just didn't feel like, you know, waiting to be invited. Well, since you're here, why don't you sit down? Oh, no. Not me. I wouldn't listen to all that junk. Hey, hey, I I wouldn't listen to it if I were you either. Can't you see what he's trying to do? He's trying to make you feel bad. They're They're all trying to make you feel bad. And this time, it looks like maturity's got you. All you idiots are probably just going to hang around in this ridiculous house and and you're going to make efforts on yourselves, aren't you? Of course. If you Well, never mind. Come on, there's no sense telling you. Wait a minute. Okay, now maybe maybe the problem isn't yours, huh? I mean, I suppose none of you have ever figured that that instead of changing yourselves with all this this ridiculous effort and all, you could just live in another part of the house. That's me part of the house. Moving to help you. Okay. You see, I know the secret part of the house and and none of you have ever been there before. And there you don't have to make effort. Look, it may seem like the easy way out, but don't listen to him. Come on. Let's go. There are no real substitutes for asking about that. Okay, I'll go. Hey, you know what? It looks like you're going to be living here all by yourself now. They may come back. [Music] [Music] The emotions had a choice to make and they have made it. They could have gone the way of maturity who promised them that through their own efforts they could learn to cope with life. But instead they chose immaturity's promise of an instant solution. The only trouble with the way they have chosen is that eventually this solution will become their main problem. Well, here we are, kids. This is your new home. [Music] Okay. Okay. You ready? Why? [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] Hallelujah. [Applause] [Music] Hey. Uh, wait a minute, man. Uh, where's mine? Oh, come on. Listen, resentful. It's in those bottles is alcohol. You know, liquor. And unfortunately, alcohol doesn't do anything to change resentment. But resentment is the need of everything else to drink. So, you're going to be the bartender. You're going to be in charge here. Yeah. Of uh of everything. Yeah. of everything. Come on. [Music] Hey, drink up over there, inadequate. You're getting behind the others. Hey, why don't you just shut up because you don't know what you're talking about. You know, if there's something that really annoys me, it's somebody who talks about things they don't know anything about. All right, everybody. What game should we play tonight? How about something I can use just for a change? If you can think of anything. How about once you buckle my shoes? Oh, very funny. Fearful. Another great joke. Funnier than any you may make. My boy. Maybe we could play truth. Then we could find out what we really think of each other. Oh, that's easy. I just never think of you insecure. Not ever. Oh, let's have a popularity contest. Something I could win. Well, if we're going to have a game, somebody better wake guilty of. Hey, it's amazing how booze puts guilt to sleep, isn't it? And this whole year we've been here, I don't think she's been awake more than a few minutes at a time. I've got the game. We've all been here a year, right? And in that one year, what's the one thing we haven't done? I don't know. I I've done everything I wanted to do. Oh, but there is one thing that none of us have done. I'll bet. Well, there are lots of things I haven't done. If you mean things like responsibility. Well, I haven't thought about the future or made any plans or felt shy or taken any orders. Oh, we are getting warmer inadequate. Listen to anyone tell us what to do. That's even closer. I give up. Me, too. Well, then I'll just figure it out, fools, with my superior perception and intelligence. Something we haven't done. Well, more like something we haven't thought. Something we haven't thought about. I've got it. I've got it. I've got it. None of us have thought about that idiot. That self-satisfied stupid [ __ ] None of us have thought about maturity. You got it. That creep. I still hate him. He was so mean to me. Okay, now here's the game. It's in memory of maturity. And the name of the game is Ever. [Music] Hey, hurry up everybody. It's time for the party. Hey, guilty. Come on. It's time to wake up. What's happening? What's wrong? Where am I? Let's have a drink for guilty. Baby, [Music] where's my drink? Resentful. What's the matter with you lately anyway? When I say I want my drink, I want it now. Do you hear me? Well, answer me. Yeah, I hear you. Fearful. Now let go of me. Are you going to get me my drink now? If you let go, All right, give me my drink. [Music] What are you doing? Will you stop that? I'm having a party all by myself. Since the rest of you are such bores, resentful, bring me a tray of champagne. I'm in the mood for love. He calls your baby. Oh. Oh, that's great. Really fabulous. All you need now is a singing voice and an agent and maybe you could have a career. Why don't you cut out the wise craps? Just grow up. I'm getting pretty sick of all of you. Not as sick as we're getting of you. Now, now in fight. It's no fun when we do. Oh, shut up, lonely. I like fights. Pick up where you two left off. Huh? You're really an idiot, Fearful. And you always were. A feisty little thing, aren't we? Now, maybe we ought to have a little fight of our own. Huh? How'd you like that? Huh? Nice big fight, huh? Come on. How'd you like fight? Leave me alone, you little fight. Come on. Let's go. Come on. Let's go, you idiot. Come on. I wish I could sleep as well as I used to. Well, take some medicine. That'll put you back to sleep like a good little girl. It's not putting me back to sleep lately. Sometimes I feel so bad about things that I'm awake all night. Well, the only problem with you is you don't take enough medicine. Sure doesn't work the way it used to. Before, all I needed was one drink. And all I felt like meeting people, talking to people, anything. Now all I have to do is take the stuff and I feel lonely again. And and it scares me because I've never felt so fearful before. That's pretty funny because I'm beginning to feel more lonely. I guess we do have something in common. Just like maturity said. Told you never mentioned his name around here. Look, what are you all carrying on about anyway? Y'all Y'all feel better than you ever did. You said so. Not anymore. We did feel better. Not anymore. I feel even worse than I used to feel. Oh, what do you mean worse? It's ridiculous. No, it's not. Don't you see? When we moved to this place, we found alcohol. We used it so we wouldn't have to feel the way we felt. Because the way we felt, we just couldn't cope. And it worked for a while. For a while, things were different. Inadequate could cope because he felt superior. Insecure could cope because suddenly she got very sure of herself. Fearful got very brave. And lonely got very popular. And so they could cope. I didn't have to worry about coping because I was asleep most of the time. But now alcohol doesn't help anymore. We all feel the way we used to feel. Except it's worse now because we're drunk all the time, too. Not drunk. Taking medicine all the time. On medication. That's different. You can't learn to cope by taking medicine. The only way to cope is to grow up. And it takes time and effort. What' you say? I I said it it takes effort. That's exactly what maturity used to say. He also used to say that we'd have to learn to understand each other better if this house that we lived in was going to be able to cope. Oh, come on now. You don't even live with him anymore. No, but we could go back. I mean, that's where we belong. With no medicine, no liquor. Well, look, wait a minute. I don't think I could live without medicine. I'd be too afraid to. And I'm so lonely without it. Well, I'm so sad when I don't drink. What are you talking about lonely? You just got finished saying that you you're starting to feel worse when you drink. I don't know. Maybe I do feel worse. But well, I don't want to stop drinking. I know what you mean. Even though this is a bad place for me to be, I'd be so unsure of myself all over again if I stopped drinking. I just can't face it. Anyway, I like to drink. Well, that's not true. I sort of have to drink. I need it. Well, maybe if we just drank a little, then maybe we'd be brave enough to go back. Do you think that's possible? I don't know if I want to go back. I don't think I'm brave enough to just live and not drink. I don't know what to do. Now, now you're all upsetting yourselves. Why don't you just relax for a little while and wait for immaturity to come back? He'll make you feel better. I know he will. And in the meantime, why don't you let me fix a little drink for you? Huh? Just so you relax. Now, doesn't that sound nice? Come on, you guys have a drink. [Music] I guess if we were leaving, we should have already left. Oh, don't worry about it. Anyway, I don't want to go at night. I'd be too scared. I don't think I could find my way back. We might get there and no one would be home. I don't want to be there all alone. Well, I don't know what to do. I never do. I'll let the rest of you decide for me. [Music] You will remember that they had already made their decision. They had decided that alcohol wasn't working for them anymore, that it was making them feel worse instead of better. They had decided to return to maturity and try to grow up and cope with their problems. But as you see, they have not done it yet. And there is a reason they have not. These emotions are dependent on alcohol. And if you can imagine all of these emotions to be parts of a single person, then you will see that this person is now an alcoholic. Perhaps you don't believe that all these emotions can live inside a single person. I can tell you that they can and they do. You see, all of these emotions have lived inside of me. I'm Elizabeth Kay. I wrote this film and I'm an alcoholic. Heat. Hey. Hey. Hey.