Seems like right after I hit "enter" on that last post, I hit my head *doh!*!
It's not about suppressing, it's about not paying it no never mind.
Similar concept, or perhaps the very same, as the ACT principle of acknowledging that the hungry tiger is outside the door and I'd best not feed it or it will want to come inside for more. Lions and tigers and wolves, oh my! Knowing it's there and acknowledging it's presence is fine/good/right - just make sure the door stays closed.
I can accept this way better than picturing myself locked in mortal combat - with myself.
So while I was thinking about all of this, I was trying to figure out how to put "secular recovery" in a framework that... works. In a child-like way, I'm drawn to this idea of bettering myself because of a higher power, and I'm almost ok with that but not quite. In the absence of that paternalistic presence and in the absence of clear and imminent danger, what's my motivation?
It's a simplistic question, I know, but seriously. I'm in this place where I'm thinking "uh oh, this is not a good direction," but it's not THAT bad (yet!). I fully comprehend this is the AV in action, but I don't have a good framework to counteract that (yet!). Looking for ideas to help trip that trigger...