Wholesome

I know you asked tursiops, but I'm going to chime in.

I still have the desire to drink sometimes. I did in Japan, and I did last summer out on my boat, other occasions as well. My booze Beast might as well be howling for the moon though, because I will never submit to that desire again. The internal struggle is only as hard as I allow it to be. When I engage with those thoughts and take them seriously, it's harder, when I recognize them as AV and see them as simply the old habit formed addicted side of me, I can let them go easily. The desire itself is harmless, although it can be annoying and at times a bit distressful, it's our actions that matter though. I used to fear my AV because it had conquered over me for so long and I felt powerless when the urges would come, like I didn't have a choice. There was a shift in my thinking and I saw through that illusion. I am in control. I am the master of my body and my actions and I can choose which thoughts to nurture and which ones to ignore. Abstinence wasn't forced upon me, I wanted it and I chose it freely.

AVRT taught me the way out. I'm grateful everyday that I came back to SR in 2015 and learned about AVRT, even though it took me 2 more years so actually put it to use. In my real life I had tried everything, I'd been to every kind of meeting out there and read all kinds of books about it, went through talk therapy. I would quit in the morning and be drinking by the afternoon. AVRT was the one thing that made sense and was logical and practical. How To Quit. Period. No stings attached.