Robby-do you think it's a matter of confidence? When we are newly sober, we can't see beyond making it past the first night, week, social occasion when alcohol will be there etc etc. We worry about how our relationships will change, if we will lose our friends etc.
I think for me, I knew very little obout alcoholism or how to maintain sobriety so when I found something that seemed to work for me, I stuck with it. Fear of relapsing meant I was very reluctant to look any further than that.
For me, living with an alcoholic partner who has done it the AVRT way ( although he doesn't recognise it as such), who has just said that he doesn't drink any more and needs no support whatsoever, plus my own growing confidence that comes with chalking up sober time, means that I now incorporate bits from other methods.
We just spent a weekend at the coast and before we left I realised I was beginning to entertain thoughts of drinking. Romantic notions of sitting in a pub next to an open fire with a glass of wine or 2. I was easily able to recognise this for the lie it was and it actually made me laugh, because it was totally ridiculous! Never have I been able to limit myself to 1or 2 drinks! Once I started I would always get totally wasted. Once it had been recognised, the thought disappeared.
I am more at ease with using whatever helps me at the time now. I still need my f2f stuff too.
Confidence and time are what's helping me make informed decisions now.