I only learned about the concept of an AV a few days to a week ago, but it's been extremely helpful because it shows me how to differentiate between my temptation to drink and my rationale not to drink.
In Judaism, there's a concept called "the evil inclination." Unlike Christianity which considers people really nasty when they aren't saved, Judaism considers the evil inclination as a tempter but also with the purpose of helping us become stronger through resistance.
I actually thought about that earlier today when I got off of work and my AV was talking about buying some booze. I realized that by continuing to resist the AV, I was actually strengthening my resolve against it. The longer I continue to resist, the stronger I become, at least in theory.
Sure, it's really our own thought process, the part of us who for years (in most cases) we've used to justify and rationalize our drinking, but by objectifying it, we can say, that's not me anymore. I'm not that guy/gal, I'm someone new.