I understand that AVRT is more or less an attempt to describe what real people really do to stop engaging in an addiction, and I just want to say that even though I did not formally use AVRT to quit drinking, I absolutely used AVRT-type thinking. Specifically:
1. I decided I was never going to drink again, no matter what (although I thought this secretly, inside my own head, since strangely enough voicing this sentiment was taboo in the recovery program I was in).
2. I viewed my AV as something separate from myself--a junkie living in my head and constantly wanting to take over. (I could tell he was quite stupid, though--some of the stuff he used to say to me was really funny in retrospect!)
3. I actively spoke to, and laughed at, my AV when it tried to get me to drink ("nice try, no cigar" I used to say).
Anyway, I can definitely say that of all the things I did to leave my addiction behind, the single most critical action was the decision never to drink again no matter what. I had "wanted to" quit for years, but never made that simple, basic commitment and never was able to stop for more than a short time. But once the option was off the table, it suddenly became very simple, and the rest is history.