All or nothing approach
It has struck me that the AVRT method pops up quite frequently in other areas of mental addiction / imbalance.
My three issues for the last few years have been alcohol, panic attacks and cigarettes (in that order).
On day 19 of sobriety, going ok so far bar the insomnia and some moments of anger and some of immense self-doubt.
I am loosely using the basic AVRT technique, where when I experience a craving I 'talk' back to it, in the vein of 'oh you again, not interested, off you trot'.
I managed to quit cigs years ago using Allan Carr's EasyWay which uses similar imagery of the beast and killing it slowly. In fact I found this Way sooo Easy I started again after a fortnight. (Well I found it so easy to quit there wasn't a problem right?! Same as I kept doing with alcohol, recurring theme of complacency).
Finally the panic attacks were crippling me so ordered a really helpful book / DVD which held the basic theory that rational brain needs to take control over irrational. So when feeling that attack coming on, you tease it so you have the upper hand
'Come on then, you have 30 seconds to give me a stroke / heart attack / choke me etc. If you can't manage it you can go do one'
I found it interesting as I do like the black and white approach - all or nothing, just like all my behaviour it seems.
I would welcome any views, I think I am in a fairly introspective place at mo, maybe trying to get emotions / thinking back in harmony after they have been sadly neglected for so long.
Elle xx