I will never rob a bank and I will never change my mind.
I will never commit murder and I will never change my mind.
I will never burn down a house and I will never change my mind.
I will never steal a car and I will never change my mind.
I will never abuse a woman and I will never change my mind.
I will never harm a child and I will never change my mind.
I will never [______________] and I will never change my mind.
I will never drink again and I will never change my mind.
Addiction is more than a "habit". But for the sake of argument let's say that it is just a habit. It takes about 2 months to change or develop a habit. One organization claims it takes 90 days, which is supported by science and by anecdotal evidence, and why the "90 in 90" meetings is ALWAYS recommended by rehabs and those in the "program". When one enters a rehab facility most of the time they are admitted to the detox unit. During this phase they are monitored by a medical staff and given medications to prevent harm from withdrawal effects - it can be fatal. Once one is over the withdrawal phase which for alcoholics is about a week, they are 'released' to the general population and start their indoctrination into "recovery". They are most times kept in a rehab for 28 days then released. Twenty-eight days is norm in the USA mostly because the insurance industry dictates this. After one is released from rehab - graduation day - they are given a list of meetings and told to attend 90 meetings in 90 days. And so it goes...
Now, for the sake of argument, if one is able to stay abstinent for 90 days, it is believed they will have no 'physical need' for alcohol. If one drinks beyond that time frame, it is clearly a personal decision. Recoveryism drills into to the minds of its indoctrinated that they are constantly at risk for the rest of their lives - one day away - from picking up that next drink. And are given very many ideas that mislead the newly sober person into to believing certain things about themselves that they are completely helpless to prevent it. blah-blah-blah.
Anyway, in the first 90 days, for the sake of argument, recognizing the AV is paramount to the success of the AVRT 'method'. Basically, ANY thought at all of drinking is the AV. It may take several months. For six months I wanted to drink - my AV wanted to drink. But I knew it was my AV. I took measures to prevent the AV from winning whether it was giving myself a "timeout" from an activity or changing my environment completely. These are techniques/methods to survive the battles with the AV. But the most important aspect of this was that I was able to assign my desire to have a drink to the AV. And I was able to separate the AV from my rational desire to not drink. In the beginning when this conflict arose I would just say to myself, "I will never drink again and I will never change my mind." Continuing to do this over time becomes second nature. And eventually the AV goes into hiding. Every once in a while the thought still crosses my mind, but it is immediately dismissed.
Addiction is very strong, our brain actually changes. Our brains can be repaired - unless it is an extreme case. This has been medically proven.
So when one decides to make a Big Plan, one must use whatever is at their disposal - for some it can be sheer willpower - to get through the first couple months. Beyond that period of breaking the habit, it becomes nothing more than recognizing the AV and squashing it. If one wishes to assign to it a method or technique, please by all means do that. The bottom line is to not lose the big picture or the simplicity of it.