Originally Posted by shakeel
AVRT meetings
I have heard it said here many times that once you read the book, get a good handle on what the AV is and how to recognize it, a person is all set and once they make their Big Plan along these lines, they do not need any meeting nor anything else for that matter.
That has never been the case with me. I have done all that yet have struggled.
Hi Shakeel,
If you “have done all that”, then you certainly realize that YOU are not struggling at all, IT, your Beast with its Addictive Voice is struggling. If you’ve “got a good handle on what the AV is and how to handle it” then when you experience thoughts and feelings supporting drinking some more, you will immediately remember “I will never drink again and I will never change my mind” and recognize all those thoughts and feelings as NOT YOU. It is the BEAST that is struggling to get you to drink again.
It is very easy to not swallow alcohol. IT must struggle to try to get you to drink some more - by the most likely means possible. IT knows what YOU know, IT sees what YOU see, IT hears what YOU think and IT knows what YOU feel. IT knows everything about YOU, YET, YET, IT cannot move a single muscle in your body without YOU going along with IT. That is one of three huge advantages YOU have over IT.
At the moment, I read my notes in the morning reminding me to be ready for IT and to recognize IT as being the AV because I tend to forget, plain and simple.
The second huge advantage is YOU know IT has only ONE purpose, by YOUR own decision to isolate away from YOU but still inside of YOU, any (and ONLY) all thoughts and feelings supporting the future use of alcohol.
The third huge advantage YOU have over IT, is how OBVIOUS it is when YOU find yourself close to alcohol, and especially when YOUR mouth may get close to alcohol. Your eyes and nose are right there next to your mouth. Since IT has no control over YOUR muscles, every one of the very complex series of actions required for alcohol to get into your mouth and swallow it is actually YOU simply going along with IT for that next drink.
So, it is hard to understand how you “tend to forget, plain and simple” as you swallow more alcohol after you claim to “have done all that reading and getting a good handle on the AV”.
I also attend meetings of SMART and AA.
I wish RR has not put a stop to their meetings, not sure what the reason was behind it or should I say the real reason behind that decision. I was wondering if there was a way to revive those meetings at least online, because it really does help to hear and interact with others regarding how they use RR in their daily life if only to keep this thing fresh in my mind at least for a time being.
YOU were wise to choose this forum to get some AVRT feedback. I’m sorry it took so long, but I see you’ve been signed up here for almost 10 years with only about two posts per month. So, I chose this date where we are on the opposite side of the sun from when you made your OP to provide some basic AVRT information. This kind of providing AVRT information is the only sort of interaction with other people that is NOT driven and support by the BEAST of AVRT and its Addictive Voice. So, being in casablanca, it is clearly opportune of you to post here to end your addiction. May you succeed in becoming a permanent abstainer using AVRT with your Big Plan.
GT
PS: and don’t hesitate to post for more information about AVRT.