Originally Posted by
AlaskaGirl 
Freshstart... thanks for asking!
Here is my deep dark secret: I haven't made a big plan. I'm not sure that I am ready to say I never want to drink again.
Without a Big Plan, your AV cannot be recognised with enough clarity to successfully quit drinking, and so, not having a Big Plan is the same has having a plan to drink.
Addictive Voice is any thinking that supports or suggests the possible future use of alcohol or other drugs. -Jack Trimpey
AV is our own thoughts used to persuade us to have a drink. Our desire for alcohol is a perversion of our normal lower brain animal desire. This unhealthy addictive desire we call the Beast.
The never ending mission of the Beast is to convince us to pick up that drink, for it cannot on its own get that drink. So it really tries to convince us that our AV is actually ourselves, and that our addicitve desires are actually healthy. AVRT puts the Beast in its place, and separates AV from us. We are not the ones wanting that drink, and so when we refuse to do what we don't want, we don't pickup that drink. Way cool.
And the Beast wails, lol.
My social circle are all sucessful, responsible people who like to party. We have so much fun together, and it usually involves drinking. When I am out with friends and drinking, I handle myself. I'm not the one starting fights or getting in trouble, I'm a fun drunk who pays attention to how much I am drinking so it doesn't get out of control.
This above is all your AV talking you into moderation drinking. Learn to see how you're being persuaded, and you'll understand things differently.
My problems center around my desire to hole up in my house and drink myself into oblivion. I realize that the whole premise of AVRT is to shut the "beast" up by taking away any possibility that you will ever drink again. So I am wondering... is it just my tricky AV telling me that it's ok to drink socially? Is it possible to identify and shut down the AV in particular situations? Age old question I know... can I moderate?
The whole premise of AVRT is not to shut the Beast down, or up, or sideways, okay? The idea of AVRT is to separate us from our AV, by looking at all thoughts which go against our Big Plan, and see them for what they are, ie thoughts and ideas to get us back to drinking. once again, the Beast is our sick desire for addiction, and AV are any thoughts which lead to satisfying that Beast desire.
So yes, its your AV saying you can drink socially.
It is not possible to "train" our Beast to be "moderate" with its desires, and so then, it is impossible to use AVRT to moderate our drinking. And of course, we can not have a Big Plan that supports moderation, and so finally, without a Big Plan, AVRT is not able to be done sufficiently enough to be successful in separating us from our AV.
Awesome questions, AlaskaGirl. Sorry if I'm making your wants to moderate seem unworkable, but nonetheless, AVRT will not be helpful in moderation. My own opinion on moderation, is no matter what technique may be used, moderation only works until it doesn't. Moderation always eventually failed me.
Keep posting, you're doing okay for a beginner. See you on the AVRT thread, as suggested by freshstart below.