I agree SoHard, and I'm glad you understood the point I was trying to make to GT. I too originally stumbled upon Secular Connections, I thought it was simply a cyber meeting place for secular minded members.

I also agree with the points raised by fini.

I definitely feel that semantics are crucial (if subtle) with all this recovery stuff. Even the word 'recovery' is not universally liked. I studied English language at uni; it would have been interesting to have done a study on it.

I mean how many people out there are drinking themselves to death because they don't associate themselves with that one highly contentious word: alcoholic? It's not necessarily denial, more the general perception of the meaning of just one word in the English language.

Fair enough, I quite like that.

I get where you're coming from but I do see a problem in differentiating those with AUD and those with alcoholism, plus the fact that AUD - as far as I know - is only an official term in America.

Good point about the AUD being American.

How about the title of the forum being For People Addicted to Alcohol.

Underneath that, all the options (AA and secular (renamed), so that we’re no longer in no man’s land).

MorningGlory put a lot of time and thought into the titles for these forums. They're not going to be changed, guys.

Move on :)

Dee
Administrator
SR

Oh I know. :) I was just thinking. I have corresponded with quite a few folks who didn’t find AVRT for a while because it’s not under the Alcoholism Forum. It’s just a shame. I’m assuming Morning Glory would be bummed to know that. I just think it’s important for everyone one (and every website) to be learning and growing. But I’ll drop it. :)

Yes, I'll move on too.

In a couple of days, I will have reached the *sober for 3 years* mark, using AVRT.
It worked spectacularly for me!

Recently, I was looking on the Rational Recovery site for info about it
(to print out for someone I know who is struggling with alcoholism)
and a lot of the info is no longer there. Does anyone know why?
I am glad that some of it is also here.

BTW, I think that Alan Carr's " The Easy Way To Stop Drinking"
(which is no longer in print)
works in a similar way.

Hi Daucuscarota,

It’s nice to hear from you and that you’re giving out information on planned permanent abstinence.

I think the RR website has been consistent for the last several years. It has a button in the left column called “site map”. That page has links to 26 different pages on the site plus a list of 27 more pages that are available to people who subscribe.

I recommend learning the Rational Recovery Dictionary page to give people wanting to establish a meaningful foundation for the R (Recognition) in AVRT (Addictive Voice Recognition Technique).

GT

OK thanks so much for the info

.
TY for the update on your success, Dau.

I reviewed the RR Slides on-line after up and quitting >6 Years ago, and there was no turning back. Coming across SR after a search made that possible.

At RV Camping spots like the one we're at now in the Desert, I encounter a wide variety of Folks who also up and quit on a self-motivated basis. Does my Heart good!

congrats on 3 years Dau :)

D

Today I found out the reason my sister isn't speaking to me. Apparently I said something extremely nasty to her when blackout drunk. I thought she was just pissed in general at my drinking. I didn't realize I said something to hurt her feelings so much.

This has given me the motivation to make my big plan. Losing my relationship (possibly permanently I realize now - I had thought it would just take time to recover) with my sister has been the biggest downside of my drinking. We used to be good pals. It breaks my heart that I hurt her feelings so bad.

i never seriously committed to permanent abstinence before. I always figured I'd try and be sober for a while then drink moderately. But I can't risk ever hurting someone I love that much again. It's time to commit to sobriety for life.

So today is the day I make my big plan. I will never drink again and I will never change my mind.

This is so awesome, freedomfries. Well done for deciding to take back your Life and your Future. :)

Hi freedomfries,

Isn’t it interesting how it only takes hearing a few sentences from someone you love to make all the difference about how to approach “recovery” and in your case, now, actually recover, permanently, within your own capacity.

Trust can be lost quickly, and often takes longer to become established or reestablished after it has been lost.

The bright side of your recent drinking is that it DID lead to your deciding that any more drinking, EVER, by you would be absolutely WRONG, immoral. So, with your knowledge of AVRT, you’ve quit for good.

I see you have posted on average over three times per day since you signed up here in January. While you no longer need to hear from others in order to keep alcohol out of your mouth, you DID post to this thread for the first time. If you have any questions or concerns about AVRT, you have chosen the correct forum for that.
So, don’t hesitate to post here. There is a LOT of Addictive Voice activity out there that goes un recognized.

Here, on this thread, I will try not to let the Addictive Voice go unrecognized (as I have done for a number of posts just previous to Daucuscarota’s that were made at the end of last year. I may get around to recognizing them later.)

Congratulations freedomfries. Along with the sadness about your relationship with your sister, don’t be surprised if you feel a sense of real happiness about your future, both those feelings are YOU. IT will have other feelings and thoughts that you are free to run by us here.

If you tell your sister your plans regarding your future use of alcohol it will set a marker in her awareness of you that cannot but help speed up however long it might take for her to trust you again, which, of course, is not guaranteed; because while YOU KNOW that your drinking is over, no one else truly does. The absence of your ever again showing evidence of, or getting in trouble from, drinking will be what may gradually increase others trust in you.

It all happened with me regarding everyone of my family and friends. A few relationships were lost, but the vast majority were fully reestablished.

You can have a long life ahead of you; it sounds like you’ve got a great family; and now that you have made your Big Plan, any thoughts or feelings that would discourage you from getting back to college due to your past drinking are ALL Addictive Voice.

GT

great to hear, freedomfries, that you now made a real commitment for never drinking again.

You're right, GT. Anything drinking from here out would be an immoral act.

I feel so happy that I'm free from my addiction. I simply don't drink anymore. My beast can whine all it likes. I'm not interested.