I posted this on another thread in response to Tammy's remark, quoted below, but since I don't remember this being discussed here before, I asked her if I could re-post it. As most of you already know, all self-doubt about lifetime abstinence is Addictive Voice, simply because it suggests the possibility of future use. The idea that AVRT is "too simple, too easy" is an all-too-common form of self-doubt, which is often reinforced by people who insist that recovery is "very difficult, but not impossible."
Comments welcome.
Originally Posted by tammy711
I've found AVRT incredibly easy. Almost too easy, so I stay cautious and alert.
The idea that AVRT is "too simple, too easy" is pure Addictive Voice. It suggests that what you have done is insufficient, and that there is something else that needs doing, or else the Beast will get you to drink. Without recognizing it as AV, the result is uncertainty about future abstinence. Your AV is sowing seeds of doubt with this idea, and this is probably the reason you still feel a need to stay cautious and alert, as if waiting for the other shoe to drop.