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• 6/26/2010 2:52 PM Carol McCabe wrote:
  1. Hank William's life was illustrated by "The Bottle's Gettin' Bigger" song since alcohol gradually consumed Hank's identity and life. Alcohol slowly took precedence over his relationships, his music, career, and eventually his life.
  2. a. Core belief - "I am not lovable because I am unworthy."
  b. Intermediate beliefs: Attitude: "It feels lonely to be unworthy."
  Assumptions: "I am powerless, it's ok for others to control me." "If I don't contribute, I may be locked away like Dad was."
  Rule: "If I play music, other people can benefit." (Reinforced by Mom: Hank played to entice clients for her business, Wife & music industry: can "slice me up and sell me like bologna.")
  c. Automatic thoughts - (when wife nags and Mom controls, then I think....) "Everyone is better than me." "I am a worthless husband, son, person." "I deserve to be alone." Feel sad, I drink to stop thoughts & sadness until I pass out.
  3. Hank would have collaborated to construct alternative, more satisfying and functional beliefs. Asking him to identify the evidence that others think he is a person of worth...such as being creative, talented, unique, caring for others, having control over decisions, that he is loved....noticing how different thoughts affect moods and charting activities that increase or decrease distress may help Hank substitute more functional behavior in place of the drinking. His music would still be good (he wouldn't have lost his talent and creativity), but the themes (lonesomeness, loss, drinking) would probably not be as prevalent.
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• 6/26/2010 3:54 PM Ryan wrote:
  1.
  The song seems to mirror the part of hanks life that was over taken by alcohol. Obviously, Hank struggled with drugs and alcohol throughout his life and the song seems to illustrate this issue about hanks life. Most notably, the section in the song referring to messing with my liver was a physical consequence of alcohol which Hank undoubtedly faced, but in addition, alcohol effected another area of his life namely relationship. The song seems to allude to this idea using the word 'shrink' which to me meant that he was shrinking or fading away from certain relationships in his life.
  
  2a. Hank seems to struggle with core beliefs of self worth and inferiority complex. To me it seemed that he was over compensating for some lack of belief in himself which drove him to perfect his music. Maybe one of his core belief was along the lines of 'I can only be happy if i'm the best at something' .
  
  2b
  One possibility of his intermediate beliefs might be ' drugs and alcohol make me a better musician'. Or, that 'to be the best i should continue drinking and using drugs'
  
  2c.
  Some automatic thoughts of Hank could have been 'when i'm drunk i'm happiest' or 'when i'm high on drugs in unstoppable' or other thoughts to that effect.
  
  3. It is highly probably in my opinion that if Hank saw a cognitive therapist his music may have been altered in some way. One can only speculate on this but my guess is that it might not have been as creative. I also do not think that his music would have been as good although 'good' is a subjective term in this case.
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• 6/27/2010 1:37 PM Mark C. Pfost wrote:
  Some of the implications of “The Bottle’s Gettin’ Bigger” can be seen as narration, in many ways, of the life of Hank Williams. The “all-consuming” characteristic of massive substance abuse can get to the point, and beyond, where it begins to be – sometimes metaphorically, and sometimes all too literally – that the physical being is seemingly being devoured so that the addiction can grow! That is truly how bad the degeneration can be, and all too frequently is, with some downward-spiraling addictions and related lifestyles. Truly, “I didn’t know I could get this small,” is not an alien mindset to anyone who has grappled with their own demons, or watched others losing their battle, in this realm.
  As for the manifest possible dysfunctional “core beliefs,” I would stress that it is vital to recognize our lack of data to make appropriate conclusion due to our knowledge being so much second-hand and media influenced. That notwithstanding, it would appear that Mr. Williams may have internalized a core belief system founded on self-denigrating. “I’m not O.K.” would be one way to state it succinctly.
  This led to potential intermediate beliefs that allowed the need to find ways to escape from “what I am” (i.e. “No good” and “Not in a good place”). This could well be part of needing to find escape. The musical escape was grasped early on. Following non-traditional paths led away from “pain” while feeding the internal need to “be” and to “be O.K.”)
  One manner in which this may have led to destructive automatic thoughts, was manifest by the instinctual moving away from what was presented as desirable in his realm of development. As he may have rejected, for instance, the home situation of a bordello, he also rejected the attempted influence to keep him from alcohol. Indeed, being told not to, may have driven him to it that much more. One feature that needs to be addressed, (and so rarely is in this age where there are far more powerful pain-killers than alcohol,) is that alcohol, by its nature, is not only psychologically numbing, but also possesses a huge analgesic component - that is probably not acknowledged enough, even within the substance-abuse treatment field - that may also have been driving Hank. His automatic thoughts, therefore may have developed not only along the line “Oh, f___ it, I’ll just get drunk” but also, “I’ll hurt less (physically) when I’m drunk,” and then, “Where’s the bottle”.
  The potential, early interventions would have included trying to see what his problems were, what he was doing about them, and how that was working. Perhaps more than anything else, defusing some of these internal crises would have lessened the particular “drive” that pushed him as it did. Would his music have been as good? Defining “good” across all of the styles of music can become excruciatingly subjective. Certainly, his music would have been different. (The example of the life path of Carlos Santana comes to mind.)
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• 6/27/2010 9:30 PM Christine Waldron wrote:
  1. Both the song and the story of Hank Williams discuss the nature of alcoholism. In the documentary one of Hank’s friends talks about how Hank said he felt like bologna being sliced up and in the song, the chorus talks about as the bottle’s getting bigger, he’s slowing shrinking. These are both references to the fact that as the disease grows; the essence of the person disappears.
  
  2a. With the little information that I know about Hank Williams, it seems that perhaps his dysfunctional core belief is that because he is frail and has health problems that means that he is weak and not deserving success in life.
  
  2b. This might translate to the intermediate beliefs that he is:
  I)Unreliable-which he shows with his binge drinking and then not showing up for performances, II)Un-loveable – this is why his marriage doesn’t work.
  
  2c. Some automatic thoughts might be:
  *I am worthless, why bother.
  *I am only valued for my music.
  *Audrey doesn’t want me so my life is over.
  *I can never stop drinking.
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• 6/27/2010 9:33 PM Christine Waldron wrote:
  Oops #3. I think that while CBT may have help Hank to live a more healthy, and perhaps happier life, his music may very well have suffered in the process. Part of the authenticity of his music was in his personal pain and struggles of which he wrote. Take that away and the songs may not have been as meaningful or enduring.
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• 6/28/2010 5:39 PM Patti Skinner Sulpizio wrote:
  1) The song mirrors Hiram “Hank” Williams’ struggle. The lyric,"I'm shrinking every minute, but my mind don't seem to get it," parallels what Roy Acuff said. "You've got a million dollar voice but a 10 cent brain". Hank succumbs repeatedly as his "bottle keeps growing". Despite incredible talent, huge success, well intentioned advice and interventions of family and friends, Hank Williams' alcoholism seems hopeless, progressive and irreversible.
  2)As we develop a therapeutic alliance, Hank tells his story. I use it to reveal dysfunctional beliefs.
  a) Together, we agree, his father's 8 year absence and mother's habit of leaving him to fend for himself contributes to core beliefs, "I'm unlovable. I'll always be alone."
  b) An intermediate belief,” I will harm myself and others," arose from his family nickname, "Harm". The situation, constant pain from his spina bifida and subsequent injuries; his reaction; using drugs and alcohol to sooth himself, result in professional and relationship failures, proving his harm theme, further cementing core beliefs, “I’ll always be alone. I’m unlovable.”
  The intermediate belief, "I’m a product", is prompted by being used and controlled by his mother, wife, agents, promoters and record companies.
  c) Hank’s belief, harm is my destiny, motivates deleterious automatic thoughts justifying drinking and self medicating. The situation, of being taken advantage of, seals his belief, “I’m a product”, inspiring the automatic thought, “rebel”, prompting more drinking, irresponsible behavior and self sabotage.
  3)In CBT I ask Hank to bring his music to explore the metaphors within. Since Hank claims he prefers to be appreciated more as a song writer than performer, I suggest HE choose to bring his guitar or only lyrics. My goal is for Hank to see that as much as is humanly possible, he’s in control of his destiny.
  Together we attack his core beliefs. Hank realizes his father’s absence is due to illness, not lack of love. We re frame constant fights with Audrey as proof of their passion. “Your Cheating Heart”, oft thought to be about Audrey, and “I Heard My Mother Praying For Me” show his conflicted feelings. Mom said Dad died, which drove Dad away a second time. She took wages from him and the band, but he still wants to please her. Asking him to reflect how songs like, “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry “ inspire audiences to cry, swoon and give 6 encores, he recognizes he's touched the universal human theme, "I am really alone” enabling him to feel their abundant love. I point out,“Harm” may be just a lazy southern way of saying “Hiram”. He sees it will be his own “Cold Cold Heart” if he dies from drinking. Sober, he's his own product; rights to his music and new redemption songs. Anticipating the decline of hillbilly style to crossover country pop music, before his songwriting and performing career dumps, he crafts a successful career producing and promoting other artists, returning to therapy as needed to prevent relapse.
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• 6/28/2010 9:04 PM Alicia Dukoff wrote:
  1. The song relates to Hank Williams' life in the sense that alcohol became an increasingly large and destructive entity in Hank's life. The phrase "The bottle's Gettin' Bigger'" is a metaphor in this case being that the bottle of liquor gradually became more and more present and he became more and more dependent on it as he passed through the years of his life. By the end of his days, he had succumb to the bottle and the negative effects his drinking had developed in his life.
  2. A) Hank Williams seemed to have suffered from problems of self worth. He may have been fighting against his worst enemy, which was himself, constantly hearing statements of "unlovable" in his head that fed his own inner turmoil even more. Overall feelings of worthlessness and inferiority seemed like definite core beliefs of this man on many levels and this is what ultimately led him to drink more, as he tried desperately to drown them out.
  2. Hank's intermediate beliefs were the subsequent manifestation of his core beliefs. Because he already feels unworthy and unlovable and inferior and "not good enough", he then subconsciously translates these beliefs into intermediate ones such as "If I drink, i can feel less pain" or "If I abuse myself, it's what i deserve anyway".
  2. C) An Automatic thought of Hank's might be "When I am drunk, I am most inspired and free". Another might be "I can really be myself after I've had a drink and this helps me play my music from the heart, which is what helps people because they relate to my pain."
  3. I am a firm believer that if you are born a musician, it is in your blood, in your heart and in your soul. There are young children who arrive on the scene with a spark and a story to tell and no one knows where it ever comes from. It is either inside of you or it isn't. That kind of ability to connect millions of people through the music that comes from your soul is a gift from God- it can't be taught and it CANT be stopped- I don't care how much therapy someone has.
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• 6/29/2010 2:00 PM Sue B. wrote:
  The song relates to the story of Hank William's life in that both of the people had problems with alcohol and let alcohol control their lives. Both men knew alcohol was their "enemy", but neither was able to win their fight against it. As other's have said, the song mirrored Hank's life.
  
  A possible core belief of Hank's is that he does not think he is capable of accomplishing anything on his own. This is shown by him needing his mother and wife to push him into becoming a successful musician and by him depending on alcohol in order for him to come up with songs and be able to deal with life stressors.
  
  I think an intermediate belief of Hank's is that of never being good enough. That belief is shown when he expresses the belief that he will only be someone if he can make it to the "Grand 'ol Opry". All his other accomplishments weren't good enough unless he could make it there. It's also possible that he did not think he was good enough to keep Audrey.
  
  Possible automatic thoughts of a deleterious nature are that of "I will never be successful", "I will never be good enough", and "I can’t do it on my own".
  
  Early intervention could have kept Hank from becoming a renowned musician. If he was able to overcome his self esteem issues he may not have been able to be as creative because he didn't have a reason to. He may have still been a good musician, but I think his songs would lack depth because he would not have as many life experiences he could draw from.
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