Originally Posted by
ReadyAndAble 
Ooops. I said I disassociated from "my feelings". Sloppy language means sloppy thinking. Somebody pass the ammo; I gotta take care of this AV trying to sneak under the perimeter wire...
Perhaps not, R&A. Beasts do have feelings, and with AVRT, we recognize these as well. The definition of the Addictive Voice is "Any thinking, imagery, or feeling that supports or suggests the possible future use of alcohol or drugs -- ever." (From the AVRT Crash Course).
This is specifically helpful with the Addicto-Depressive condition, which is not the same as true depression, but which can be the Achilles heel that trips up many who attempt to quit. The Beast is usually very depressed in newly-abstinent people, and it feels like your own depression. Early on, it often seems like this faux depression will go on forever, so it is crucial to recognize and objectify that as the Beast's depression.
My "litmus test" early on was to imagine having a few drinks, and if my mood lifted, even before drinking, but by just
imagining it, then I knew that it was Beast depression, and not true depression. True clinical depression, of course, doesn't magically lift just by imagining a few drinks, and I could actually
feel the Beast's mood rising and falling by shifting between "never again" and thinking about having a few drinks.
(See "The Felt Presence" and "The Addicto-Depressive Condition" on pages 183-189 of
RR: The New Cure, and Figure 4 on Pg 183)
This said, I have seen some strange posts about what things are AV, some of which don't really fit the definition of AV. Your thoughts and feelings are not Addictive Voice unless they specifically steer you toward eventual self-intoxication. Anger, for example, is not AV, although "I drink because I am angry" or "I'm angry, I need a drink" would certainly be AV.