northland

I'm gonna go see my addictions counsellor in 2 hours from now. I've been reading a lot on rational recovery, because I've always had reservations towards AA, and I feel like I've learned a new set of tools that can help me. I've never looked at addiction the way rational recovery does. I always viewed cravings and the alcoholic voice as just a piece of me, I never seperated it from me. So I've actually been having some pretty funny "conversations" in my head. Before, I was just one, there was no distinct difference between me and my addiction, my addiction was me. Now, I view myself as my old self, and my addictive voice as my arch nemesis who I've declared war on. So far, I haven't had any cravings, but I know those will come. New Years day will be day 13 for me, so come new year, I plan to keep that going

Isaiah

Awesome! Good luck with the counselor. I did therapy for mental health issues but it happened my therapist was also trained as an addictions counselor, which was useful on many occasions.

I have never really looked into Rational Recovery, just because there weren't any meetings in my area, but I would say keep an open mind for a while. Sometimes the principles don't come off obviously at a first glance. That's how it was for me with AA, the views I brought with me at first have changed a lot over the years. I imagine RR might be the same.

northland

Ya, I see a mental health counselor as well, but that's only once a month.

RR doesn't have meetings. You do it all on your own. A lot of AA people would frown on it, because it is the opposite of AA principles. But I have seen a lot of people on this site post about it, and say it works for them

Orkney

Well done so far, day 15 here and seems to be getting easier.
Like you I have issues about AA and pretty much started out thinking it was a one on one personal battle, me vs alcohol.
This site has been invaluable so far, really have learned a lot. The more i've learned about the control alcohol has had over the last 30 years of my life the greater my hatred & resentment of it.
Best of luck with the counselor later please let us knwo how you got on.
Maybe best not to worry too much about news years day but concentrate on the day after which will be 2 weeks for you :-)

northland

I like RR as a starting point to recovery, because it does teach you that it is a one on one battle, you as a concious rational human being who knows better than to drink, vs, the part of your brain that will do anything to get its fix. That's not who we are as people, we all know that. I've never in the past been able to seperate the two though, I always just lumped it up and said "this is me, I'm an alcoholic" . Now, I've had a paradigm shift, and I whenever I have thoughts that support past, future or present drinking, I am able to view them as not mine, as a by-product of a part of my brain that doesn't care about me

northland

Be back in a couple hours or so, I'll see what my counselor thinks about RR and SMART.

northland

best meeting ever!!!

haha, went good. I talked about rational recovery, and the structural model of addiction, and how I've always viewed addiction as me, as being one. She said she was glad I picked up on the fact that the addictive voice will do everything it can do, to get what it wants (booze). I keep learning so much everyday about addiction

Dee74

I'm glad you've found something that's working for you Northland

D

northland

this is just one big learning process. I know I get really depressed when I slip up and drink again, but not all is lost. I am continually learning, and one thing I now understand is that I am not my addiction. For the first time ever, I am being mindful of my addictive voice and how it seems to be my normal voice, but it is not. It is invasive. It is a parasite. It is ruthless. And it will do whatever it takes to get what it wants, which is its next fix. I can now see it, and it is afraid of me