Originally Posted by
MickeyAnMeisce 
If I understand correctly, AVRT requires that one pick a date on which one makes a solemn promise never to drink/use again for whatever reason.
...and to never change your mind. Details, details. :-)
There are two "versions" of AVRT, so to speak. In the first, the "Big Plan" is simply a decision on permanent abstinence, and the reasons for deciding on permanent abstinence are left up to the individual, and may certainly vary from person to person. One person my decide not to drink/use again because if they do, they will lose their family, while another may do so for more materialistic reasons, such as a desire to get ahead in business.
In the second variation on AVRT, though, drinking/using,
in and of itself, is viewed as wrong, in the moral sense. I myself certainly balked at this suggestion initially, but if you can get yourself to accept that
for you, drinking/using is not only immoral, but also the most immoral act of all, it can be prove extremely effective against the AV.
Except for people who are sociopaths, everyone has a moral conscience which will kick in automatically when contemplating doing something that we feel is morally wrong. If you can convince yourself that your drinking/using is highly immoral conduct, this reflex will kick in automatically and identify the AV almost instantly when it appears. It took me a while to get to that point, but eventually, I did.
It is not easy to do, particularly since addiction is not generally viewed as a "moral issue" these days, but if you can do it, it is extremely powerful. Once at that point, the mere suggestion of any further drinking/using is enough to cause an instinctive, almost automatic recoil.