Originally Posted by
flame11 
The Big Plan...no I haven't made it yet. I'm just reading about that in the book. I'm astounded at the fact that myself and many others (as cited in the book) actually have NO plan whatever regarding the future use of alcohol/drugs.
I would encourage you to make a temporary Big Plan, then, as in "I will not drink again until I finish reading the Rational Recovery book."
It sounds rather weak, but you will almost certainly stop procrastinating and finish reading the book in this fashion. Once you finish reading the book, you can either make up your mind, with a real Big Plan, or not.
I would also recommend that you read through the main AVRT discussion thread, since a lot of the material in the book is discussed, and many questions have been answered.
Originally Posted by
flame11 I guess that's partly because we (addicts) are always in constant dialogue with the AV, and not even aware of what's actually going on in our brains.
Remember that AVRT is about separation from the addictive drive, and that the Beast, not you, is the addict. To say that you are "an addict" is to say that you are your Beast, or one with the Beast. This is the opposite of what we do with AVRT, which also involves paying attention to language.
Originally Posted by
flame11 This has also for me mingled with the ideas of not having any power/control over my addiction. So why would I have even considered giving up for the rest of my life.
To say that you are powerless over your addiction is to say that you are powerless over your Beast, and that the Beast is your Higher Power. Of course, this is usually the case in addiction.
Originally Posted by
flame11 I saw my therapist yesterday and spoke to her about AVRT. She was very receptive to the idea.
You may want to ask your therapist what her own personal experience with recovery from addiction is, and what her professional orientation regarding addiction is. AVRT violates almost all of the axioms of RET/REBT, which many psychologists try to apply to addiction.
Bear in mind also that although discussion, as we are doing here, is certainly useful, ultimately, you are on your own against the Beast. That may sound depressing, but it may also prompt you to finally take responsibility for your own recovery, which you are perfectly capable of doing.