Greetings
Guest
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2018
Location: UK
Posts: 1,280
Greetings
Hello,
I've been lurking for a while and have found some of the threads useful so thought I'd register. Being bipolar I don't really like social interaction in the real world so maybe some online interaction could be of benefit.
I've had a lifetime of addiction - booze, heroin, coke, amphetamines etc. I had over ten years of sobriety and then the stress of my job resulted in me returning to drinking and at times other things. There's a certain irony that my job was working in addictions!
In recent years I've been diagnosed as Bipolar II (hence my username) and AADD. No treatment s have worked, being diagnosed explains some of my history.
Drink is now my only issue when it comes to addiction and it's never been good for me, looking back that's clear to see. When I drink it's not daily or even weekly or monthly at times but when I do drink it is in a very harmful way. I feel that is becoming like Russian roulette as my liver has taken a lot of grief over the years, I also had HCV and cleared it with treatment.
In recent years the longest I have gone without a drink is around 6 months, currently I haven't drank for just over a month.
Sometimes I feel that my mental health drags me back to alcohol, thinking that I have no control but maybe that's now just become an excuse to drink.
I think that AVRT could well be the way forward for me.
BP2
I've been lurking for a while and have found some of the threads useful so thought I'd register. Being bipolar I don't really like social interaction in the real world so maybe some online interaction could be of benefit.
I've had a lifetime of addiction - booze, heroin, coke, amphetamines etc. I had over ten years of sobriety and then the stress of my job resulted in me returning to drinking and at times other things. There's a certain irony that my job was working in addictions!
In recent years I've been diagnosed as Bipolar II (hence my username) and AADD. No treatment s have worked, being diagnosed explains some of my history.
Drink is now my only issue when it comes to addiction and it's never been good for me, looking back that's clear to see. When I drink it's not daily or even weekly or monthly at times but when I do drink it is in a very harmful way. I feel that is becoming like Russian roulette as my liver has taken a lot of grief over the years, I also had HCV and cleared it with treatment.
In recent years the longest I have gone without a drink is around 6 months, currently I haven't drank for just over a month.
Sometimes I feel that my mental health drags me back to alcohol, thinking that I have no control but maybe that's now just become an excuse to drink.
I think that AVRT could well be the way forward for me.
BP2
I hope our support can help you maintain lifelong sobriety. 
Not The Way way, Just the way
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: US
Posts: 1,413
Welcome to SR,
To start you off with AVRT, it helps to choose the prefered verb tense in regards to what you are hoping for your future (non) use of alcohol. See the color changes in red and my insertions in green in your quote below.
As you reread the marked up paragraph above by taking out the red words and using the past tense, it will produce some unusual feelings that you can reflect upon. Try to remember these feelings and reflections as you begin to learn more about AVRT.
Having everything about you drinking be in the past tense is what you want, right?
To start you off with AVRT, it helps to choose the prefered verb tense in regards to what you are hoping for your future (non) use of alcohol. See the color changes in red and my insertions in green in your quote below.
Originally Posted by BP2 
Hello,
I've been lurking for a while and have found some of the threads useful so thought I'd register. Being bipolar I don't really like social interaction in the real world so maybe some online interaction could be of benefit.
I've had a lifetime of addiction - booze, heroin, coke, amphetamines etc. I had over ten years of sobriety and then the stress of my job resulted in me returning to drinking and at times other things. There's a certain irony that my job was working in addictions!
In recent years I've been diagnosed as Bipolar II (hence my username) and AADD. No treatment s have worked, being diagnosed explains some of my history.
Drink is now my only issue when it comes to addiction and it's never been good for me, looking back that's clear to see. [When “looking back” in your next sentences, the past tense is typically used, but NOT when the Addictive Voice is running the conversation] When I drink [drank] it's [it was] not daily or even weekly or monthly at times but when I do [did] drink it is [was] in a very harmful way. I feel that is [was] becoming like Russian roulette as my liver has taken a lot of grief over the years, I also had HCV and cleared it with treatment. [Notice the AV drops out and it goes back to the past tense once you stop talking about drinking]
In recent years the longest I have gone without a drink is around 6 months, currently I haven't drank for just over a month.
Sometimes I feel that my mental health drags me back to alcohol, thinking that I have no control but maybe that's now just become an excuse to drink.
I think that AVRT could well be the way forward for me.
BP2
I've been lurking for a while and have found some of the threads useful so thought I'd register. Being bipolar I don't really like social interaction in the real world so maybe some online interaction could be of benefit.
I've had a lifetime of addiction - booze, heroin, coke, amphetamines etc. I had over ten years of sobriety and then the stress of my job resulted in me returning to drinking and at times other things. There's a certain irony that my job was working in addictions!
In recent years I've been diagnosed as Bipolar II (hence my username) and AADD. No treatment s have worked, being diagnosed explains some of my history.
Drink is now my only issue when it comes to addiction and it's never been good for me, looking back that's clear to see. [When “looking back” in your next sentences, the past tense is typically used, but NOT when the Addictive Voice is running the conversation] When I drink [drank] it's [it was] not daily or even weekly or monthly at times but when I do [did] drink it is [was] in a very harmful way. I feel that is [was] becoming like Russian roulette as my liver has taken a lot of grief over the years, I also had HCV and cleared it with treatment. [Notice the AV drops out and it goes back to the past tense once you stop talking about drinking]
In recent years the longest I have gone without a drink is around 6 months, currently I haven't drank for just over a month.
Sometimes I feel that my mental health drags me back to alcohol, thinking that I have no control but maybe that's now just become an excuse to drink.
I think that AVRT could well be the way forward for me.
BP2
Having everything about you drinking be in the past tense is what you want, right?
Not The Way way, Just the way
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: US
Posts: 1,413
Hello OP,
It’s been a week, and I’m assuming you’re still checking out this forum from time to time.
I don’t want to call you by your username because you said it means a mental illness diagnosis, and I don’t believe in calling someone that, even if it is just an abbreviation.
But on the bright side, I’m curious if you’ve come more up to speed on the
Technique of Recognizing your Addictive Voice?
GT
It’s been a week, and I’m assuming you’re still checking out this forum from time to time.
I don’t want to call you by your username because you said it means a mental illness diagnosis, and I don’t believe in calling someone that, even if it is just an abbreviation.
But on the bright side, I’m curious if you’ve come more up to speed on the
Technique of Recognizing your Addictive Voice?
GT
Guest
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2018
Location: UK
Posts: 1,280
Hi GT,
Thanks for asking, yes I'm still coming here now and then. Things are progressing, slowly but surely and thanks for pointing out my use of language in your previous post, very interesting.
Good point, I thought of my username in haste and in retrospect should have chosen something different. But, I have now put a second Big Plan into action so maybe the BP2 could be for that from now on. It's six weeks today and things are going as well as I could hope for and I believe that AVRT is making a real difference this time around.
It was actually some of your informative posts on here that got me looking at AVRT more closely so thanks for that too.
J
Thanks for asking, yes I'm still coming here now and then. Things are progressing, slowly but surely and thanks for pointing out my use of language in your previous post, very interesting.
Good point, I thought of my username in haste and in retrospect should have chosen something different. But, I have now put a second Big Plan into action so maybe the BP2 could be for that from now on. It's six weeks today and things are going as well as I could hope for and I believe that AVRT is making a real difference this time around.
It was actually some of your informative posts on here that got me looking at AVRT more closely so thanks for that too.
J
Not The Way way, Just the way
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: US
Posts: 1,413
Originally Posted by BP2
Hi GT,
...
Good point, I thought of my username in haste and in retrospect should have chosen something different. But, I have now put a second Big Plan into action so maybe the BP2 could be for that from now on. It's six weeks today and things are going as well as I could hope for and I believe that AVRT is making a real difference this time around.
...
J
...
Good point, I thought of my username in haste and in retrospect should have chosen something different. But, I have now put a second Big Plan into action so maybe the BP2 could be for that from now on. It's six weeks today and things are going as well as I could hope for and I believe that AVRT is making a real difference this time around.
...
J
Since it’s possible to make only one Big Plan for each addiction, I will think of your username as standing for “Big Plan, Too” meaning you have now, with your present Big Plan, joined the vast population of people who have used the pledge of permanent abstinence to end their addictions over thousands of years of human history.
Here’s how to see that what you are leading us to imagine was a “first Big Plan”, though, was actually a conditional plan of abstinence.
Report in detail everything you were thinking and feeling, and actually doing moment to moment in the ten minutes just before you had more to drink following your alleged “first Big Plan” and then try to convince us that you did all that while at the same time knowing you had pledged that, no matter what, you would never drink again.
Many others have tried, but no one has yet been able to succeed at proving that any previous “Big Plan” was actually a Big Plan.
What they actually had done is pledge to not drink only if certain conditions were met, and if those conditions were not met, then it would be time to get some more of that good ole deep pleasure from chemically enhanced stupidity and tie on another Big One.
Addictive Voice Recognition Technique gives people a simple skill to use to end any sort of internal debate that might take place such as the ten minutes leading up to your choosing to go and drink some more. If any of this is still vague, it would be useful to learn a bit more about Addictive Voice Recognition Technique.
GT
Not The Way way, Just the way
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: US
Posts: 1,413
Originally Posted by BP2
... Things are progressing, slowly but surely ...
J
J
It’s been a week, so I thought I’d post today. How are you doing with Addictive Voice Recognition Technique?
When I made my pledge of permanent abstinence, it made the recognition of my Addictive Voice a lot easier. Are you finding that’s the case with you?
GT
Guest
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2018
Location: UK
Posts: 1,280
Hi GT,
I'm doing OK thanks, 7 weeks today.
Yes, I agree, pledging permanent abstinence has certainly made recognising my AV easier and I feel that I’m getting the hang of it.
I have to travel to visit family this coming weekend, due to my bipolar I don't travel well and going via London it is unavoidable that I will be close to a pub that I used to frequent quite often when making this journey.
In the past I used to think that because of my mental health etc. that it was inevitable that I would end up drinking in such situations and it became a self-fulfilling prophecy. Now I see that it wasn't inevitable at all, it was my AV that wanted me to believe that, IT fed upon my fears, my stress, my anxiety etc.
Of course, it continues to try and feed on those things but now I recognise it for what IT is. I don’t want to get complacent about things but as things currently stand life seems a little bit easier.
J
I'm doing OK thanks, 7 weeks today.
Yes, I agree, pledging permanent abstinence has certainly made recognising my AV easier and I feel that I’m getting the hang of it.
I have to travel to visit family this coming weekend, due to my bipolar I don't travel well and going via London it is unavoidable that I will be close to a pub that I used to frequent quite often when making this journey.
In the past I used to think that because of my mental health etc. that it was inevitable that I would end up drinking in such situations and it became a self-fulfilling prophecy. Now I see that it wasn't inevitable at all, it was my AV that wanted me to believe that, IT fed upon my fears, my stress, my anxiety etc.
Of course, it continues to try and feed on those things but now I recognise it for what IT is. I don’t want to get complacent about things but as things currently stand life seems a little bit easier.
J
Guest
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2018
Location: UK
Posts: 1,280
Originally Posted by GerandTwine
Here’s how to see that what you are leading us to imagine was a “first Big Plan”, though, was actually a conditional plan of abstinence.
Report in detail everything you were thinking and feeling, and actually doing moment to moment in the ten minutes just before you had more to drink following your alleged “first Big Plan” and then try to convince us that you did all that while at the same time knowing you had pledged that, no matter what, you would never drink again.
You're quite right. I made what I intended to be a Big Plan on the 4th December last year, I had already gone around five months without drinking.
Come the 21st of December I was with my wife standing in a local pub, thinking that I really would be better off having a soft drink but my AV thought differently and I allowed it to defeat all reason. A few hours later I was drunk, vomiting blood and badly ill for over a week afterwards.
Looking back I had already decided to have a drink even before I had left the house so no, I obviously wasn't committed to a Big Plan then, I am now though.
J
Guest
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Join Date: Jun 2018
Location: UK
Posts: 1,280
I managed to visit family for the first time in a year as there was a party to celebrate what would have been my late father's birthday. There were 17 people there with most of them drinking alcohol. They say this is 'traditional' but my dad didn't even like booze in his final years.
This used to get to me (my AV) and in the past I'd start drinking on the way back but not this time. I'm back at home now, safe and sober and it will be 8 weeks tomorrow.
This used to get to me (my AV) and in the past I'd start drinking on the way back but not this time. I'm back at home now, safe and sober and it will be 8 weeks tomorrow.
Member
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Big City
Posts: 3,895
Originally Posted by BP2
I managed to visit family for the first time in a year as there was a party to celebrate what would have been my late father's birthday. There were 17 people there with most of them drinking alcohol. They say this is 'traditional' but my dad didn't even like booze in his final years.
This used to get to me (my AV) and in the past I'd start drinking on the way back but not this time. I'm back at home now, safe and sober and it will be 8 weeks tomorrow.
This used to get to me (my AV) and in the past I'd start drinking on the way back but not this time. I'm back at home now, safe and sober and it will be 8 weeks tomorrow.
Guest
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2018
Location: UK
Posts: 1,280
My AV has been dominant for the past few days but I've now made it to 9 weeks.
The heatwave here in the UK has been wearing me down and I long for the torrential rain that's expected at the end of the week. That should be followed by a cooler weekend before the heat returns.
J
The heatwave here in the UK has been wearing me down and I long for the torrential rain that's expected at the end of the week. That should be followed by a cooler weekend before the heat returns.
J
Member
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Big City
Posts: 3,895
Originally Posted by BP2
My AV has been dominant for the past few days but I've now made it to 9 weeks.
The heatwave here in the UK has been wearing me down and I long for the torrential rain that's expected at the end of the week. That should be followed by a cooler weekend before the heat returns.
J
The heatwave here in the UK has been wearing me down and I long for the torrential rain that's expected at the end of the week. That should be followed by a cooler weekend before the heat returns.
J
What is your AV even saying?
Keep going, it gets better. Guest
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2018
Location: UK
Posts: 1,280
Thanks lg.
It's the usual internal dialogue, that I can't overcome my mental illness and my mental illness will lead me to return to drink, maybe drugs too. In the past this has led me to just giving in to it, using it as an excuse to drink.
I think it's probably a delayed reaction to travelling recently, and this damn heat!
It's the usual internal dialogue, that I can't overcome my mental illness and my mental illness will lead me to return to drink, maybe drugs too. In the past this has led me to just giving in to it, using it as an excuse to drink.
I think it's probably a delayed reaction to travelling recently, and this damn heat!
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