LolaR

I have 10 days sober from alcohol, so thankful for this place. Did the AVRT crash course and it made complete sense to me.

Hoping to hear from other users of it, and wondering what to do besides the crash course ?

Dee74

Hi Lola

I'm sure you'll hear from folks here, but there's a lot of AVRT discussion and information in our Secular Connections forum

Secular Connections - SoberRecovery : Alcoholism Drug Addiction Help and Information

D

Oldselfagain

Hi Lola....I use AVRT and it works very well for me. I've supplemented this with hypnosis and I feel like my sobriety has never been stronger.

LolaR

Where do you get the hypnosis, I mean is it online too ?

ClearMind

AVRT is great, and I'm pretty sure the crash course gives you all the basics you'll need. I know the author has a book though (it gets into everything on a deeper level I assume), which is tragically not available yet on Kindle book, so I haven't read it.

Cascabel

The book is titled "Rational Recovery" and may be bought from Amazon. It goes into much more detail than does the "Crash Course". I've read "Rational Recovery"; it covers both the methods and the philosophy of AVRT. I use AVRT and have found it to be quite helpful. If you go to the "Secular Connections" forum here you will find a lot of intelligent discussion of RR and AVRT.

Betterlife1

Day 11 and just was reading up on AVRT yesterday, although I had read into it in the past as well. It makes a lot of sense. My "beast", or as I like to call him the "little f'er" (sorry!) gives me more anguish about future drinking then present drinking. Mostly stuff like drinking at future concerts, summer bbq's or out to dinner with friends, etc.. Events that aren't even planned yet. I also read the book by Allen Carr "The Easy Way to Quit/Control Drinking". I find that has been tremendously helpful. I really believe because of that book, it has been not too tough in the short term. I know the long term is what is going to be much tougher! Keep up the good work! I'm finding its all worth it!

bllit

I just took the crash course it made sense to me it helps identify whats really going on have there been many documented recovery cases?

bluncain

I'm finding it really helpful too. I call my beast 'The Slug'.

Bought the book on Amazon.

freshstart57

My goodness yes! RR is really not a lot more than the collected lore of those who have recovered without any formal 'program of recovery' and AVRT is what they did. And Project Match, which did a long term study of over 40,000 folks dependent on alcohol, showed that about 75% of them quit without any program.

Lots of discussion and specific support for you in the Secular Connections forum, bllit.

KellyToronto

Hi Lola: When you say you did the AVRT Crash Course, do you mean you did it on-line? Or did you take a formal class in a classroom setting, somewhere?

Glad you're doing so well!

Kelly

Oldselfagain

I was using some apps on the iPhone and it was effective. However, I went to a hypnotist today and I feel that was even more effective. I can honestly say I have ZERO desire to drink right now. I'm going back for another session next week....I'm not sure if another session is even necessary, but I want to build on it and "bullet proof" my sobriety.

GerandTwine

Hi Lola,

I'm not here because I need these forums to stay stopped. I ended both my addiction to alcohol and drugs AND my recovery decades ago. I'm here to see that people can be introduced to AVRT as it is.

I've known about AVRT since it was originally developed about 20 years ago. And I've taken advantage of it to end some addictions.
With each addiction, I went through a lot of trial and error before I decided to really USE AVRT.
By the time I did the equivalent of the CRASH COURSE, I was done - recovered.

Lola, you may very well be done with your recovery. You get to decide. That's what the Big Plan does for people. It ends their recovery. You may now be a typical teetotaler (about 33 % of the U.S. population) as your very last drink is behind you.

With my Big Plan not only was my addiction behind me, so was my recovery.
That's what "never again" means to me.

There was the static in my brain of the old desire, but the Technique of Recognizing that Addictive Voice was so clear, that I literally spent less than five minutes per month on practicing it on the very spot where I stood.

Before I discovered AVRT, I had spent many hours traveling to group with other addicts only to remain suspended in a limbo of feeling I would always be recovering for the rest of my life (about 1 % of the U.S. population).

So, your very fresh, honest, and logically correct observation "...I was wondering what to do besides the crash course?" really isn't a question at all.
I see it as an expectation, based on society's large addiction treatment and recovery group industry, that somewhere another shoe has to drop. Well, it doesn't.

Even after my recovery was over, I still had thoughts and feelings about drinking. The diagram below showed me how to separate from some of those thoughts and feelings. Thoughts of disgust about drinking some more are really MY thoughts. But thoughts of glee and anticipation about drinking some more are no longer my thoughts. With AVRT they are relegated to IT, my BEAST which can bark, whimper, growl, or whine like a dog with its Addictive Voice. By separating from IT, I quickly inhibit any actions in that direction. IT's thoughts and feelings are thus harmless.



All the best,

GT

Notimetoloose

Same here LolaR, It just made perfect sense and was so practical.
I like that I am not dealing with on going craves and I can nip them in the bud the very second they pop into my brain.
I think our brain likes it as well and I feel with a little time it will reset my brain back to its original default setting, addiction free.

HenryKrinkle

I'm using AVRT and it is working well for me. Awareness of my AV has been a huge breakthrough for me. I feel empowered by it, and I like taking ownership of the choices I make.

freshstart57

Kelly, AVRT has no formal recurring meetings the way some programs of recovery do. The Crash Course is available online for free from the rational recovery website.

And congratulations to Lola, to HenryK, OldSelf, NoTime, bluncain, BetterLife on your Big Plan about continued use of alcohol. Well done! Onward!

Zencat

AVRT is incoperated into my 'big plan' which I also use CBT and DBT as well.
I think the AVRT cuts straight to the problem with 'stop drinking now and never drink again'. IMO the 'compete disassociation from alcohol' of AVRT is close to what I practice. That being 'detachment' or release from alcohol. Alcohol has becone a non-influence in my life.

Aellyce

Hi Lola,

I use a version of AVRT as part of my sobriety toolkit and it's been working well, supplemented with interaction with other real human beings (through SR and also through improving my 3D relationships). I would have serious difficulties staying sober only relying on myself at this point of my addiction. I suggest that you explore and apply whatever seems promising for you!

Ncognito13

I find it useful. After reading the crash course I bought the book online and many of the ideas clicked.

For example, I just got back from the grocery store about 20 minutes ago. Right when you walk in there is a beer display. My 1st thought was 'I could have one with dinner. I won't get drunk'. I thought it better that I do my shopping and consider this option. I was almost 100% sure I would have just one beer when it hit me 'that's the voice'. It's telling me about how good it will be to have a beer with dinner despite the fact that I have told myself I wouldn't drink. I'd finish that beer, decide that the buzz wasn't good enough, and get more.

I didn't buy any beer. I felt kinda proud of myself as I walked out.