I like parts of the Rational Recovery book that deal with the larger social context as well. For example, yesterday I was reading the bits about families toward the end, and it clicked so well with my own thinking and experience, even though I do have more complex thoughts on that topic. The recommendations for dealing with addicted kids reminded me of my own childhood. I didn't have substance problems before my early 30s, but had an eating disorder starting ~age 10, which is very addiction-like. It was in the late 80s-early 90s, similar era to when Trimpey developed and published his work.
I hid the eating disorder like most people, but my parents found out of course and had discussions with me about it. But they never pushed anything other than taking me to the doctor to make sure I didn't have diabetes or some other physical issue, given my weight changes. I struggled with it on/off for a good 10 years, maybe a bit more, but never had any treatment or recovery method applied to it - these things were virtually unknown back then in my home country. My parents also knew nothing about mental health, psychology etc. They heard of eating disorders and recognized that was what I had, expressed worries, but did not impose anything strongly. This is definitely controversial: many psych theories and mental health practitioners would say it was careless or dismissive parenting, my own therapists did, but it just didn't click with my feelings well, not how I experienced it internally. But I tried to listen to therapy and that even triggered some resentments that my parents didn't help me more. It was completely useless and backward for me, luckily I left that form of therapy. What I recognize now is that it was probably for the best leaving me alone. If not, perhaps I would now be chronically dependent also on other people's views, whatever they say/do or not, adding another major problem. Grateful for not having that one.
So I figured out and resolved the eating disorder completely on my own by my early 20s, and starting my independent, self-directed life outside the family home helped a great deal in that process. Much later, I had very open conversations with my father about how they experienced my eating disorder, and he shared he and my mom decided not to force anything on me but let me just grow up in the otherwise very supportive.protective environment they always provided. He also apparently convinced my mom not to let my issue interfere with their life and cause them turbulence too much - may sound like a bit unfeeling, but I completely agree. They had a good life and our family was very functional, why make everything complicated and disrupt things? My dad said he was quite positive I would find my way and get better when I moved out and started living independently, so we thought the same way, and it worked out very well. It was difficult at first, but having 100% autonomy and room to do anything with my life pretty much resolved the self-image, insecurity and peer conflict issues that started and maintained the eating disorder. I learned how to eat healthy, cherish my body and practice self-care in ways that I liked. The eating disorder pretty much just faded away and never returned - it's been about 25 years now. I have also maintained a normal weight throughout these years and never obsessed about my body much. I don't believe that forcing me into treatments I didn't want, groups I didn't want to be part of etc would have helped anything, definitely not more than the natural process of individuation and personal growth. Interestingly that recovery was long before I got into the mental health industry as a professional.
Now this is some major ramble, I'm just sharing it here because it related to self-directedness closely. Don't think I used anything as intense as AVRT in my recovery from the eating disorder, but did recognize I was abusing my body, that it caused other problems in my wellbeing, and concluded the way to resolve it was eliminating the eating disorder and creating a life that simply brings a healthier self-image and esteem, almost as a "side effect". It all worked, no other "treatment" was needed.
The alcohol problem I developed ~10 years later started in a very different way, I think, with different motives and it's not nearly as complex psychologically as the eating disorder in my youth. I didn't have similar, complicated psychological hangups in my 30s and now in my 40s, it's a much more one-dimensional liking the direct, acute effects of alcohol, much like it's described in the RR book, I never even blamed it much on anything else or made excuses. Reading the book now and thinking about these things definitely gives me an even more positive outlook that I can resolve the alcohol issue using AVRT and my own resources, and probably after a while can just move on. Food is much trickier given that we don't have the chance for abstinence, although I don't believe the eating disorders I had (anorexia and bulimia) are actual food addictions, more obsessive-compulsive preoccupations with self-image, where developing a healthy sense of self and autonomy resolved it for me. I think my alcoholism is sort of in the opposite direction: here most of the problems (including in self-esteem) can be caused by the effects of alcohol and I don't experience them even after just a few days sober. I don't think everyone's alcoholism emerges and works this way, but pretty convinced about mine. So the solution of removing the alcohol permanently and not worrying much more about it seems pretty legitimate. I'm also sure many of you who applied AVRT or similar successfully had some similar thoughts.
I think the addiction/recovery industry still needs a lot of reform and more individualized perceptions/recommendations, because they often make the problems much more complicated and bigger, in part by blaming it on so many different things, then trying to "treat" all those things. It surely brings $$$ to the industry but never ends for the people who want to recover... of course then they will not recover, won't even have enough time and mental energy to enjoy life, then look for substitutes again to perpetuate the cycle and/or believe they are broken forever, suffering sober or harm reduction is the only viable strategy.