Originally Posted by
walkbeformakrun 
I don't feel that, for me, it is realistic to say I'm 100% certain that I'm never going to change my mind.
From that statement am I to assume that you have no intention of giving up drinking? You just want to take a vacation from drinking. Yes?
Philosophies of any other "program of recovery" don't mean diddly. Every time you say I only care about today, you are leaving tomorrow open for options. I think of it as the same thing as why wait until Monday to quit, what's wrong with today - Sunday?
How about never changing your mind one day at a time? My view is that the belief of totally letting go of alcohol without the option to ever drink again is 'how it works'. Don't fear the future, because you already made the decision that no matter what happens in the future you will not drink. You don't wait for that day to decide - it is not an option. You don't wait for tomorrow to decide if you are going to drink 'today'. You already made the decision to never drink again and never change your mind. It's no longer debatable.
Any thoughts of "changing your mind" later are what they call the AV, or beast. This is how the thought process of AV recognition technique comes into play. Any though of "changing your mind" is your "addictive voice". You must learn how to deal with that "voice" (thoughts) and be able to squelch it as soon as it shows up. I know I had to deal with it quite a few times over the past year.
First the thought of having a drink comes into my brain. I isolate the thought and acknowledge it. Then I TELL MYSELF that I quit drinking and if I have to, remind myself WHY I quit drinking in the first place. I don't dilly-dally around with it. I crush it as soon as it shows up.
I had an incident a few days ago at home. I wanted to drink so bad because I was so pissed off - DRINKING WAS HOW I REACTED WHEN I BECAME ANGRY. It was my only solution to everything (in the past). Apparently I haven't been that angry for a very long time. Then I thought about it - I don't drink anymore. I found something else to do instead. So just because I made a vow over a year ago doesn't mean I am not challenged from time to time. I am just better prepared to deal with it now. I AM IN CHARGE NOW!