Tried AVRT for the first time today
 

My AV was messing with me bad this morning. Had me thinking I was really going to relapse. So I began the AVRT technique. It worked for a while but eventually the beast came back so loud and full of anxiety. I made it and I am thirty one days sober but it seems like this time the AV since quitting uses this profound anxiety to slip me up. I was an anxious person to begin with. Anybody know what I can do?

Hi eagle, welcome. I'd say you're doing great. You recognized that voice as AV and did not do what it said, so you won!

When i first made the big plan, my AV got really loud, precisely because it could see it was doomed. No booze for it, boo hoo.

Odds are it will quiet down as time goes on.

Did you take the online crash course, and/or read through the two long sticky threads at the top of this subforum?

There's also a subforum here on anxiety, and lots of good posts, as i think it's very common to feel anxious in early sobriety. I'll see if i can find a thread...

Hi again Eagle,

I did a search and here's a few threads with lots of ideas for coping with anxiety. Along with continuing to learn about AVRT, maybe look at some ideas for managing the anxiety? :dunno

https://www.soberrecovery.com/forums...disorders.html

https://www.soberrecovery.com/forums...-sobriety.html

https://www.soberrecovery.com/forums...ne-help-2.html

https://www.soberrecovery.com/forums...techniqes.html

Regardless of how crappy your day might've been, if your head hits the pillow and you're sober, that was a good day.

I think like any skill AVRT is not a one and done deal. The more you practice the technique the better the results :)

D

Hows it going today, eagle?

You can go back through all the threads there is lots of good info in there. Sometimes I have to revisit things several times to wrap my head around them. I don't know if you have the Rational Recovery book, but if you do, there are some specifics there on dealing with Beast attacks.