Originally Posted by
kanamit 
I'm relatively new to AVRT and Terminally Unique has been most hopeful. I wonder if I might post a few of my own questions before we hit the limit:
[1] I am finding myself envying those who have more time under their built. I know you'd say right away this is Beat activity. However, the reason is because my body hasn't fully reset itself from years of alcohol. Is that still Beast activity?
Keeping track of time is, generally speaking, for the purposes of AVRT, counter-productive, because the Beast has no concept of time. If you want to see a vivid example of this, think to yourself "I will get drunk a hundred years from now, in 2111." You should notice some feeling of anticipation coming from the Beast, since you have just provided it with a boozing opportunity.
Of course, you know that you'll be dead before then, but the Beast can't comprehend that. It only sees an opportunity to drink again, and you can be certain that it will try to shorten those 100 years until it starts asking "well, why not drink tomorrow, then?" Stay in the present, and don't worry about how much "time" other people have. You will get over the short-term effects of alcohol withdrawal soon enough, usually around 90 days or so, and it will get easier.
Originally Posted by
kanamit [2] I find occasional feelings come on: anxiety, sadness, indecision from mind racing; is this withdrawal or Beast activity? Can the Beast really make you feel those things?
It depends. Yes, there will be some anxiety initially, since alcohol is a CNS depressant, and your system is rebounding from that. It will also take some time for the depression to lift, but if chronic depression continues past 90 days or so, you may have depression independently of your addiction. If the depression does not lift, it might be a good idea to see a PDOC about it. You could certainly consult with one beforehand, though, but bear in mind that any further drinking will counteract any medication, and possibly have other negative side effects.
You should, however, attribute any sadness or sense of deprivation on account of not drinking to the Beast; ie, "IT misses alcohol, because IT feels deprived and is sad because I am killing IT." Remember, the Beast, since it originates in your base brain, does have feelings, just like any other dumb animal. In fact, feelings are probably all it has. As far as it is concerned, if somethings feels good, do it, and if it feels bad, don't do it, and to hell with the consequences to you or anyone else.
Originally Posted by
kanamit [3] Does likening drinking to the ultimate immoral act help? I still think deep down the Beast has a bit of a hold on me because I don't quite fully view drinking in the light I should. One previous poster mentioned it to sleeping with her ex-husband. I think of some of the scenes in London I saw of the riots that made me feel sick…yet the idea of drinking doesn't do that. right now it's more of something i no longer do. Should it?
It does help in that if you believe that, you will intuitively recognize the Addictive Voice, almost without a thought. However, you don't necessarily have to get to that point, it simply being "wrong" might suffice for you. To be honest, one could conceivably make a "Big Plan" for decidedly selfish reasons, such as making lots of money. In other words, if you love money, and you can never get enough of it, and drinking is negatively impacting your ability to make lots of money, you could decide that you will never drink again on account of that.
Originally Posted by
kanamit [4] Is it normal to normal to feel a bit shaky as you learn the technique? My Beast is saying to me, "You thought this AVRT thing was your ticket out of here but when you read this thread they know a lot more about it than you. Good luck. You're going to need it,=."
The Beast is going to be throwing doubt at you to undermine your confidence and get you to drink again. There is no great mystery to AVRT, nor is it particularly complicated, but the AV will either tell you that it can't possibly be this simple, so it can't work, or that it is so complicated that you will never get it. Don't worry about how much "more" people seem to know on this thread. Learning from others on here is simply a bonus, because you could learn AVRT entirely on your own simply by reading the book a few times and practicing.
Abstinence is a learned skill, and the more you do it, the easier it becomes. AVRT will build on itself as you use it, until eventually you will barely even think about it. Set your confidence level arbitrarily at 100%, recognize all self-doubt as a product of the AV itself, and you will do fine. When you are confident that you will never drink again, you are as recovered as someone who has not touched a drink in 30 years. I kid you not.