Algorithm

I'm glad you took up my suggestion to purchase the book and post any questions here, AlaskaGirl. You'll get up to speed quickly by doing this, especially if you also read through the AVRT discussion thread.

Bear in mind that one of the chief drawbacks of AVRT is that it appears "too simple, too good to be true", and that your Beast will be reading along with you, however, looking for loopholes.

The underlined part in your post, above, is actually your Addictive Voice. It is similar to "I have no desire to drink" or "I have no plan to drink", both of which are also AV. It implies uncertainty about abstinence, and therefore, suggests more drinking. What if you did have the intention, or desire, to drink?

Regarding time counting, RR has always suggested to simply let the Beast count time. The Beast has always kept track of the length of deprivation while in addiction, often down to the hour, and it will continue to do so after addiction. AVRT simply recognizes this as Beast activity.

Tursiops already covered the AV above, and the fact that PAWS would not have any bearing as far as AVRT is concerned. Triggers and PAWS, along with some other common recovery ideas, will be covered later in the book.

See "Chapter 13 - Lapses, Relapses, and Other Nonsense" in RR: TNC. PAWS is discussed on pages 193-194.

There isn't much discussion of brain chemistry in AVRT, but tracking Beast activity is discussion on page 151 in the book, and is one of the ACTION exercises. I would try not to skip over these.

I wouldn't be too concerned, though. If anything, your body can only improve by abstaining, no? Your body will be healing itself, and not getting worse by drinking, as you have already noted.

AVRT is powerfully simple, but the Beast will draw on ideas such as PAWS to undermine your confidence to abstain. All self-doubt about abstinence suggests the opposite, and is therefore the AV itself.