Newbeginning421

Was watching some standup comedy on youtube and came across a comedian who said she used his book and was extremely effective in terms of quitting bad habits such as drinking/smoking. Anyone read any of this authors books?

Libby06

Yes. I read "The Easy Way to Stop Smoking" by him. I was a pretty heavy smoker for 25 years, with many failed attempts at quitting. I have been quit almost 2 years and other than strong desires, I owe the credit of my quit to his method.

It's was pretty life changing!

Aellyce

A read some of his books about drinking a few years ago. He basically teaches mindfulness-type methods to quit problem behaviors, and I am definitely a fan of anything involving honest, genuine, in-depth awareness. It didn't make much difference for me, but I think it was mostly because I wasn't truly done drinking and was doing it 100% aware of how it worked and the consequences. I think if someone has a strong motivation and determination, his method can work, similar to AVRT in that regard (that is simple as well and capitalizes on inner mental gymnastics). One thing I disagree with is his claim, in one book, is that his method does not require willpower. I don't believe there is any method that does not require that, and lots of it, to succeed, because awareness is only one thing, the real important part is saying 'no' in the critical moments. Much like the act of executing the behavior, it's the actual behavior causing the problem. I know not everyone shares this, but I personally believe that any behavior modification needs the power of self, whatever method one is using.

phoebe64

I have and have read The Easy Way to Stop Drinking. I did drink again, but that’s not the fault of that book. It’s definitely reinforcing to choosing sobriety. He takes a logical approach, and is easy to read.

GerandTwine

First, I believe the compound word “willpower”, to begin with, is confusing and misdirected. The word “willfulness” better describes what is going on when an addicted person ends a chemical dependency.

“Will” is a description of human decision making that involves only electrical signals going on in the brain - very little “power” is being expended. Will is based upon memory, values and, for our purposes here, control of habits of the body which include pleasure and pain.

“Power”, on the other hand, is what happens AFTER the short electrical brain signals of “will” have been completed. “Power” takes time, lots of voluntary muscular activity, societal and natural environmental milieu risks, outcome uncertainties involving more “power” from family, friends, employer, and/or law enforcement.

The real important part is not just “saying no” in the “critical” moments; it is simply recalling “never again” that was pledged previously. Further “choices” about drinking more alcohol need not be made.

Once the crucial and singular once-in-a-lifetime act of willfulness regarding the future use of alcohol (I will never drink again.) has been pledged by an addicted person; a more natural response would be “it was the old behavior that used to cause the problem.”

Most brain activity involves habituated muscle memory, but the act of finding and swallowing alcohol is unquestionably such a blatantly in-your-face complex conscious, voluntary activity (we certainly want to KNOW what we are drinking, right?) that “I will never drink again” is the kind of pledge that can be achieved PERFECTLY unto death.

And, while getting up to the point of deciding to make that pledge probably includes a lot of wasted “Power”; making that pledge takes about a minute of concerted “willfulness”.

The implied power needed in AVRT is simply the tiny nanovolts of electrical brain activity required to RE-Cognize (think about thinking and feelings) that might support the future use of alcohol or one’s lack of ability to keep alcohol out of their mouth by themselves.

This RE-Cognizing the AV can be done while doing many other regular life chores, like driving, washing dishes, watching TV, and millions of other activities. And as soon as the AV is recognized, the pledge (Big Plan) MUST immediately come to mind and eliminate any possible “behavior” towards drinking alcohol. It all takes a few seconds.

So, I understand what is meant by “power of self”, but that is a much more generalized concept than the uniquely human “willfulness of self” used in AVRT which very quickly leads an addicted person to the requirement of either making the pledge of permanent abstinence or stop separating from their Addictive Voice (AV).

There is a page on the incorrectness of the term “willpower” in the book “Rational Recovery, The New Cure”

Aellyce

Thanks GerandTwine! I always appreciate your comments and pointing out the flaws in my thinking/method. Just re-read the page I think you were referring to. I think sometimes these debates center around semantics, but I know that definitions and the way we express ourselves are very important in practicing AVRT. I understand that in these methods, the most important part is the 100% definitive decision, commitment, pledge, Big Plan - whatever we call it. I'm always drawn to these rational, fact-based, cognitive methods because of who I am naturally, but a lack of solid commitment was definitely my weak point in the past, which undermined the effectiveness of any otherwise strong awareness and recognition. All the ability to accurately understand our motives, and those coming from the addiction/Beast/whatever we call it, is nothing if it falls on anything but rock-solid commitment to separate and ignore the AV.

I actually have a question about this and will post it in the Secular forum, don't want to divert this thread.

Dee74

I read it once I got sober but I found it useful - particularly the idea that you should ask yourself what you want this drink to do, whether its reasonable to expect it will do that, and what other, better, things you might do instead.

D

fishkiller

I like that

GerandTwine

AVRT is a very bipolar technique, and using superlatives as you are (All, is nothing, anything but) often fits well. But AVRT is simpler than your sentence is implying. The motive of the Beast is very singular and well defined by AVRT at the outset because of the exactness of what drinking alcohol is. It is a desire to obtain the effects of alcohol in the brain and body: that DEEP PLEASURE and the cycle of getting it over and over again (similar to normal appetites.) So, “the ability to accurately understand” ITs motive has already been taken care of; nothing more to figure out. “Our motives” to drink some more do not exist any more in AVRT, they are all attributed to the Beast’s bark - the Addictive Voice (AV). So, that’ simple, too.

The second point is that I find there are two phases in AVRT: pre-Big Plan, and post-Big Plan. Pre-Big Plan AVRT can still be practiced without a Big Plan pledge, but it should quickly lead to either making a Big Plan or quitting using AVRT. As soon as an addicted person comes to understand that making a Big Plan is a requirement of continuing to practice AVRT, that once in a lifetime plan must be made. We have seen people here do that and succeed and we have seen people here claim to have done it and drink some more. Having claimed to have done it and drunk again does not mean that person is unable to make that once in a lifetime commitment in the future.

lessgravity

Me too. Same here.