pumpkin1

Hi there. I am really trying to stop this nonsensical battle with alcohol. I have tried to quit drinking but I can't last a week. AA has been ok but it isn't solving the issue. I like the rational of AVRT. I subscribed to their member section but I'm still waiting to get access. I'm really lonely and really scared and I really don't ever want to drink anymore! Did AVRT work for any of you?

Thanks

easyrider73

I never read up on AVRT and AA really isn't my thing.. I come here a lot to read and get support. I've lurked here for well over a year and finally registered a couple weeks ago. I too just came off a week long binge and have been dry for 6 days now. I just try to stay busy and when I'm feeling down I come here and read,there is always someone here in the same boat!

bbthumper

Hey there,
Glad to here you are on the path to recovery. I dont know anything about AVRT but there are a lot of folks here that do and can probably help you out.

If you dont mind me asking, what was it about AA that did not work for you? Did you get involved in the 12 steps at all?
Just curious.

pumpkin1

I had a really hard time with the pressure to talk at the meetings. I really liked listening however and it was motivating.

FredG

I don't know much about AVRT either but the Rational part didnt' apply to me when I got sober. There was absolutely nothing rational about my life at the time or the way I drank.

AA was what got and kept me sober. In my opinion the only trouble with AA that I know of, is that you have to be willing to follow exactly what it says to do. The same thing applies to any other methods as well though. You can't pick and choose what you want to do in any program, if you want to get sober.

FredG

Never been to a meeting where anyone was 'pressured' into talking. They certainly are given the opportunity if they want but that was about it. That being said I haven't been to ALL the meetings and there's probably some out there that are like that. Just go and listen. If you're pressured to talk, tell them you just need to listen at this point. When you're ready, you'll talk

pumpkin1

Thank you easyrider73. I have been following your posts. Congratulations on 6 days sober. I wish I could say that right now!

hypochondriac

Welcome Pumpkin

AVRT was what I used initially. It really helped sort out the chatter in my head. I did the crash course and read the Rational Recovery book. I didn't like the anti AA stuff though and have ended up so far using a combination of AVRT and AA in my recovery plus seeing an addiction counsellor and will be looking at SMART at some point in the future too. I actually am picking and choosing bits from various programs and it is working for me so far. I definitely credit AVRT with keeping me sober though. You can't argue with the logic really. Have you checked out the secular connections forum here too? x

bbthumper

Gottcha. Well, if youre interested try some other meetings. There are meetings where one person speaks and you just listen. Or literature baased meetings. There are no meetings in which you have to talk.

Meetings are great. They really help a lot. But if you are looking to get the rewards of sobriety through AA, the steps are where the magic happens. That is the program.

Live2Run25

I use AVRT and this board only. It seems to work great for me. I am 72 day sober today.

easyrider73

You just gotta say enough is enough..I'm not going to lie the first week is TERRIBLE. And I've quit many times, but my thing is binge drinking were I'll do it a week straight and stop. The longest I've went 'dry' is a little over a year. You can do it!!

Hevyn

Hi pumpkin! I'm glad you want a better life for yourself. I drank over 30 yrs. and finally got off the merry-go-round for good after finding SR. It was such a relief to know there were so many others just like me - and to read their stories of hope and encouragement. You can do this, pumpkin - a great new life is waiting for you.

CarolD

Welcome to our recovery community...

Here is a link with lots of info about secular recovery...

Secular Connections - SoberRecovery : Alcoholism Drug Addiction Help and Information

I have no personal expereinces with anything except AA
and it's been working great for me for 23+ years..

I do hope you find something that gives you a sober future
full of purpose and joy...

4mykids723

I use AVRT, this board and my common sense and am now 24 days sober. I picked up The Small Book, read it when I need it and that is it. I have no plans to join Rational Recovery or put my sobriety in anyone else's hands but my own since I am responsible for letting it get out of control in the first place. I refused AA because of the religious overtones as well as the whole "powerless" concept since by our very nature we are not powerless...we may choose to feel and act powerless but our very nature is not powerless. I choose to lead a positive and power filled life every day.

I hope that everyone finds their sobriety regardless of method, just putting in my two cents.

Deserto

I found and still find AVRT very helpful. I'd recommend reading the whole book Rational Recovery in addition to joining the online forums or doing the crash course.

I also found the book Tao of Sobriety very helpful -- it builds on AVRT in many ways.

The other thing that has helped is to read, read, read as much as you can about alcoholism. Do this every day to remind yourself of what you're up against. SR is a great place for that

MrsKing

It works for me

justhadenough

Me too. I'm 44 days

freshstart57

Pumpkin1, congratulations to you on your choice of sobriety, and decision to finally get on with life on its own terms, straight and sober. I drank for 35 years, heavily for 15, and addictively for 5. I made a choice to stop drinking and started looking for anything that would help me in this. I began to read and search out anything I could on addiction, alcoholism, went to meetings, read the BigBook, mental health websites, everything.

During this search, I was doing my best to separate myself from those cravings by doing my best to ignore that voice that was telling me that I would fail, that I needed a drink, that if I could do this by myself I would have done it long before, etc. It was a couple of weeks before I found this place, and a few more weeks before I was introduced to AVRT. The light went on, the penny dropped, and I realized that I had been using AVRT from that first moment I decided to quit.

This journey to sobriety is a very personal and private one, and is a solitary activity by nature, and it is lonely at times for sure. But pumpkin, there are many here that have done exactly what you are doing, and are here doing what you are doing right now. Any change that we make is terrifying, and fear is OK. But keep that confidence in yourself and in the knowledge that you have made the single best choice you can make. Keep posting, OK?

RobbyRobot

Hi pumpkin,

Awesome you don't ever want to drink again. Same here.

Both AA and AVRT work for me, no problemo. Sweeet! I haven't drank for decades now, got sober when I was 24. Before I finally quit, I would home detox and not get past 30 days, which is really not good when you want to quit forever...

Yeah, pressure does exist in AA to talk, and the longer one dosen't talk, the greater the pressure. Some meetings are better at understanding the newcomer than others, but the thing is, AA is a talking/sharing/working the program kinda deal, so yeah, talking is a big deal in AA.

With AVRT, talking is not such a big deal whatsover. Its more about recognising our AV - Addictive Voice - and seperating from that voice enough to "see" the Beast that is that AV. Its a technique that can be used absolutely alone, and/or can be used with consultations with others, as one may wish.

Being scared and alone sucks.

Those thoughts and feelings can absolutely be left in the dust of the past however...

Welcome to SR!

Sapling

I'm very happy with my recovery with AA...And I haven't read this book. But I wanted to ask you....Was it the anti AA stuff that made you look into AA? I'm baffled.