Apologies in advance, if this is the wrong place to ptu this stuff - I've about 11 tabs open and lapping everything up.
Being a n AVRT discussion thread though, I wanted to bring up something I've read people discussing a lot, hope that's cool.
The AVRT definition of 'recovery' as permanent abstinence, and nothing more, have I got that right?
See, I've read criticisms of this definition as it 'doesn't address the underlying causes which lead to the addiction' etc. I see why some may feel that way , but personally, dissacosiating from the 'addict voice' for me has made it easier to listen to the other voices and address them. Voices or traumas or relationships, whatever, I've carried through life, largely blanketting or muffling with addiction. Now I feel empowered and able to remove that blanket, I can address what is underneath, not as a 'powerless junkie', simply as a rational human being aspiring to better quality of life. Hence, while AVRT does not suppose to be an 'addiction treatment' , ain't part of its potential success due to the fact it empowers addicts to once-again recognise themselves as something beyond addicts, to break their identity free from being 'just a junky' or encapsulated by being an addict? Anyone wanna' tell me I'm misunderstanding what I've learned so far of AVRT (lol) or got any thoughts / experiences of their own on that subject?
I've read a lot of thoughts on the subject on these forums, but would love to hear anyone with whom I can have a discourse, as many of the threads I've been reading have been long closed.
Otherwise, just wanted to say to anyone musing over or experiencing the whole 'my addiction's worse than yours' thing (someone above was discussing it and it caught my eye), check out Will Self's approach to all that malarky. He addresses those questions with this concept of 'drugs porn' (so hoping use of that word in 'ere don't earn me an automatic ban or something lol). Anyway, google videos had some interviews with him on talking through this and I think they're quite insightful, and witty, and not without humour either to anyone who's interested.
Cheers guys, great thread.