I tried moderation, or at least my version of moderation, where I only drank a few days a week instead of daily like I had been doing. I still really liked drinking and it was so much part of my life that I couldn't bring myself to actually consider permanently parting ways with it. It wasn't until I'd exhausted all my options that I was able to make that lifetime commitment to abstinence. I think the choice has to be made freely. What the Freedom Model is trying to do makes perfect sense. It's giving people back their power and control, and telling them that they had it the whole time, even though they may have believed otherwise.
And moderation is an option for some people. I know that's not a popular opinion on here. But there are people out there who have achieved it. It's not for me, and I'm certainly not advocating for it or encouraging anyone to try it. I think alcohol is a terrible drug and that it ruins lives and families and I'll never touch another drop again, but that is my opinion and my choice for what I want in my life. Other people might have a different opinion for what success looks like when tackling their issue with drinking.
I am a firm believer in the AV though! Just writing out the above sentence, that little voice is telling me I could have a drink when I toast my kids at their wedding one day.... haha! They are only 13 and 15 and have no wedding plans, but my AV is already planning on how I could try out "moderation" one day in the future. IT sure is persistent, I'll give IT that!
I do wish that The Freedom Model addressed the AV, because they talk about how you have to want it for it to work, and I agree with that, but what they don't talk about it how even if you want it, your AV will always try to talk you out of wanting it.