In some of the previous posts there is talk of certain conditions that should be met in one's daily life in order to remain abstinent. Of course, this is the idea that I must make sure that activities and relationships develop without certain "obstacles" and "problems" coming up, otherwise I will most certainly be pouring ethanol down my throat and swallowing it. Well, this sort of thinking is pure Addictive Voice activity driven by the Beast and is not part of AVRT.
This thread's subject is about Beast activity, but the Big Plan has been brought up repeatedly as well, as it should be.
Originally Posted by
applecake 
... One of the things I was most concerned about when I made my initial big plan was navigating my way through an upcoming birthday party with a group of women who seem to think wine is necessary and that all must partake! Midway through that week, I read in one of the AVRT threads (maybe #2?) that we can look at encounters like that as an opportunity to beat down our beast. Awesome! But I decided I'd better have a back-up plan, and I took a cooler with a jug of cranberry juice, four quarts of cold seltzer, and slices of lime. My drink was so pretty that they all wanted one. And no one realized that I didn't have wine until they were pouring the very last drop out of the very last bottle. And by then they really didn't care. I'm not sure I would have made it successfully through that evening (and a subsequent one at a winery two weeks later) intact without a game plan going in.
Anticipating obstacles and coming up with a game plan is probably going to be really important to me, at least until I get the hang of this a little better. I really appreciate your honesty in that struggle, Oakwood.
First, making an "initial" Big Plan doesn't make sense - even in retrospection. When I drank again, I could realize how I may have felt like I made a Big Plan but didn't. One time it was simply an emotional longing based on self reflection after a bad binge. Another time it was out of fear of people learning all the irresponsible crap I was creating. And it would be 100% AV to say my Big Plan didn't have enough other contingent plans in place to protect the Big Plan and keep it from failing. This is 180 degrees off track.
The Big Plan, obviously, can be made only once in a lifetime for booze and drugs which I did a long time ago. I then made another one for caffeinated beverages and foods except chocolate. I quickly added another one for chocolate. And just about six months ago, I made another one (right here on SR) for for all sweet foods with sugar added. I know I can't go back on them. And WOW, does it feel comfortable! It's so nice to NOT have to make up all sorts of "game plans" to protect my Big Plan. That idea is SOOO AV!! The truth is the opposite.
It's my Big Plan that protects all the rest of the other plans I make in life to progress and expand, and, ALL BY ITSELF, THE BIG PLAN ABSOLUTELY INSURES I DO NO FURTHER DRINKING/DRUGGING - not the other way around. I do not need "game plans" to keep from drinking.
With a Big Plan in place, it was certainly logical to decide not to go to bars, some parties, see some old drinking friends, etc. - but that logical decision making had nothing to do with fear of MY having any anxiety. Using AVRT I knew it was the Beast that had anxiety if went to those places. IT would be salivating, but I would not be concerned because my Big Plan had predetermined that I would not drink/drug in ANY CIRCUMSTANCE.