GT you are a purist! I mean that as a compliment! You do not deviate one iota from the pure AVRT/RR ideology. (Perhaps ideology is the wrong concept, but in a way it can be seen as one as it does present a world view). I like your purist approach as it keeps AVRT undiluted and purposeful. I am taking from it all I need and I have found it totally suits me - I will never drink again, I will never change my mind, but in the course of the last couple of weeks, I have become interested in learning about addition as I have never had the opportunity to talk to anyone at all about addiction - and it has come as rather a relief to listen to others here. I don't see this as harmful or damaging. I hear the AV in many posts and it is helpful because it's good practice for me to get better an hearing it, whereas before I would not have been so ready to accept it as the AV.
I do agree with Fusion " I don't understand why a period of instruction on the technique would be deemed damaging, for me, it would be quite the opposite." - I have found all the instruction so far immensely beneficial. The book, at the moment is for me a red herring, I will have another look at it, but whether I read it or not it wont change my commitment to abstinence.