Sit down and talk to Raven about personal demons, and you might as well clear the rest of your afternoon.

Raven can tell you all about the nauseating lows and steep personal tolls of substance abuse. He can tell you about how surviving a difficult childhood can leave you screwed up years after the fact. He can tell you how alcohol is only a temporary salve for depression, and that you can't afford to take a damn thing in this life for granted.

Raven knows all of these things from first-hand experience. He is an admitted recovering addict, having used drugs to help him cope with his own emotions, as well as rigors and pains of his chosen profession. Today, though, Raven professes to be clean. He no longer has the blackouts - those long stretches of time so many addicts simply cannot remember.

Yet every day is a test of his resolve. Every obstacle in his life seems to wear a flashing detour sign urging him back into addiction.

C.M. Punk doesn't shed any tears for Raven.

The feud between Punk and Raven might be the most intense conflict on the independent circuit today. Somehow, Punk and Raven have been able to co-exist as occasional partners in NWA-TNA, but once they return to Ring of Honor, their mutual hatred bubbles to the surface and spills over into outright carnage.

To the casual observer, Raven and Punk seem to have a lot in common. Both are non-conformists. They like to wear their hair long, sport tattoos, and look more like rock 'n' roll stars than wrestlers. But the difference between Raven and Punk is like the difference between the excesses of Jim Morrison and the focused energy of Henry Rollins.

Punk lives a straight-edge lifestyle, meaning he eschews drugs and alcohol. Punk spends his free time training, reading, or skateboarding. He pays strict attention to the foods he eats. His guilty pleasure beverage of choice is probably soda.

In most cases, a wrestler's private life wouldn't necessarily affect his actions in the ring all that much. But in this personal, unusual, and intense feud, the differences between the men - and the life decisions they have made that have brought them to this point - are impossible to ignore.

When Raven debuted in Ring of Honor, he immediately clashed with Punk. The feud quickly escalated into full-scale warfare, and both men have pledged to end the other's career.

And all is fair in wrestling these days. Even exorcizing personal demons to get an advantage.

Punk has reacted to Raven's onslaught in part by exposing Raven's Achilles heel - his history of substance abuse. He taunts Raven, reminding him of the damage he has done to his body. Punk even taped Raven to the ring ropes and poured beer down his throatduring a recent bloody dog-collar match the two had just to mock Raven's past transgressions. Before that particular night was over, current WWE star - and former ECW blood rival - Tommy Dreamer made a surprise appearance and helped Raven pour beer down Punk's throat.

"I'm just doing what I have to do to survive," Punk said unapologetically. "There's only going to be one man left standing when this feud is over, and I'm going to take any advantage I can. Just remember, Raven brought all this on himself."

How did this feud between a former ECW World Champion and a promising indy prospect turn so ugly so quickly?

Part of the answer has to do with where the matches are taking place. The Ring of Honor promotion is supposed to emphasize technical, hard-fought, rule-abiding wrestling. The only rules Raven cares about are Raven's rules. When Raven stormed ROH, his very presence looked like an affront to everything the promotion represented. Even though Raven is cheered, Punk thought he was picking up the flag for Ring of Honor. In his mind, the battle is bigger than one man against another - it's about defending your principles against a bully.

As for Raven, he came into ROH still smarting and frustrated over his release from WWE. He felt he was never properly used by WWE management, and walked into ROH looking for a fight. He has found one.

C.M. Punk has given the matter a great deal of thought, and thinks there's another reason for the career-threatening feud that consumes him.

"I think maybe I represent what Raven could have been," Punk offered. "When he looks at me, he sees a younger version of himself. Only I'm avoiding all the pitfalls that tripped him up. Maybe he doesn't even consciously recognize it, but I think he hates me because I will be what he could have been. So he's made it his mission to destroy me."

If that's the case, Raven could be putting himself in serious danger. This feud isn't about to end. A hair vs. hair match is likely to happen before it's over. So are steel cage and various other specialty bouts.

Punk has proven he is willing to do whatever it takes to survive Raven's assault. History shows whenever Raven is in trouble, he ratchets up the violence to another level. Punk is ready for that. He's defending himself and his lifestyle against Raven's blind rage. In the 15 years since Raven's pro-debut, his body has been battered by hardcore matches and turned inside and out by substance abuse. Punk is young, powerful, healthy and thoroughly dedicated to ending the scourge of Raven.

All those elements don't bode well for the man known as Raven. Still, the veteran doesn't seem to be concerned.

"C.M. Punk is a piece of chewed up gum on the bottom of my shoe," Raven said. "He's got spirit, but spirit is easily conquered. I will bleed him dry and hang his carcass up as a warning to anyone who forgets just who I am. I am Raven. And C.M. Punk doesn't have what it takes to kill the Raven."

Maybe not. But Punk does have what it takes to do serious, life-altering damage.