Originally Posted by
freethinking 
Normally, my husband refuses to order any alcohol around me even though I know with anyone else he would have a beer. last night I asked him to please go ahead and have a drink or two. I was so glad I did. The Beast did not come out full stop but it did rear a little bit and I just sat there and observed it kicking around in my head a bit. Then it passed.
I have never done this in the past and while I cannot explain why, in my gut I feel this exercise helped me in the end.
You're doing good, freethinking. You don't have to be afraid of your own desire for alcohol (the Beast), or the Addictive Voice, which is the expression of that desire, any more than you have to be afraid of your own sex drive. Don't explain to the AV why you never drink; just recognize IT, stare IT down, and IT will settle down.
You have the power, not the Beast, because IT is powerless, nothing more than a quadriplegic, and only you control your muscles. IT cannot do anything without YOUR help. Each time you stare IT down and force IT to bow down to superior force, IT will become progressively weaker, and you'll have an the advantage.
Eventually, you'll probably just laugh at the AV when it pops up, and think "HA! You again, Ms. Beast? Still at it, huh? You sound pretty pathetic these days. I never drink, remember? Too bad for you."