SoberRecovery : Alcoholism Drug Addiction Help and Information - Addictive Voice Recognition Technique (AVRT) Discussion Part 2

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- - Addictive Voice Recognition Technique (AVRT) Discussion Part 2 (https://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/secular-connections/237939-addictive-voice-recognition-technique-avrt-discussion-part-2-a.html)

Quote:

Originally Posted by fredstorch (Post 3199020)

Because this is so new to me, I haven't yet encountered the negative consequences that may come my way if I leave the door open to the possibility of being a "normal" drinker down the road. I'm not talking about going on a 3 day binge, but just sharing after dinner drinks while catching up with old friends.

This would seem unlikely given your own description of your drinking habits. It doesn't sound like you have any interest in being a normal drinker:

Quote:

Originally Posted by fredstorch (Post 3197580)

....I get irritated when it is only appropriate to drink a glass of wine or two. I can't wait to get through, so I can head back back home where the amount I choose to drink isn't contrary to the protocol of the situation.

Quote:

Originally Posted by fredstorch (Post 3197580)

I am not posing this question to be flip, or disrespectful, but is moderation not an option at all?

Strictly speaking, AVRT is about across the board abstinence from all recreational, hedonic, mood-altering drugs. It is incompatible with moderation.

Quote:

Originally Posted by fredstorch (Post 3197580)

Maybe not, but I haven't given it a chance, so I don't personally know.

Given what you write next, it would seem that you do suspect that moderation would not work very well for you:

Quote:

Originally Posted by fredstorch (Post 3197580)

Right now, I do know that if I have a drink at 5:00 pm, that certainly will not be the last drink of the day, because the Beast will be out of the cage, and I will continue to drink until bedtime.

The only people who yearn to drink moderately are precisely those who have already proven that they cannot do so. Why else would they yearn to drink moderately? Moderate drinkers like your wife don't yearn to drink moderately, they just do it, without giving it much thought.

Quote:

Originally Posted by fredstorch (Post 3199020)

I realize I am on a "sober recovery" site, which would obviously not advocate moderation, so I apologize if I have been inappropriate by suggesting it as a possibility.

Although I advise against moderation for problem drinkers, and you appear to have some good reasons to quit drinking, whether you decide to actually quit or not is ultimately up to you. At the end of the day, when you log off this web site, it is your own life that is at stake.

Quote:

Originally Posted by fredstorch (Post 3197580)

I am still trying to learn how best to accomplish my goals of personal growth, and providing a healthy and happy atmosphere for my family.

Personal growth follows secure abstinence, not the other way around. You said you planned to order the book. The book has a lot of information, and once you read it, you will have a better understanding of all of this.

Thanks TU. Well, I know I have not been a normal drinker. I no longer want to drink the way I in which I have become accostomed.

I didn't know about the AV/Beast concept until a couple of days ago, thanks to this thread. I am recognizing it to be a very powerful tool that has stopped my drinking pattern in it's track. That pattern has been ingrained in my daily routine over many years. It is really amazing.

At this early stage in the game, I may just be so overconfident with how easy it has been to stop drinking, that I haven't developed the healthy respect for alcohol's ability to be destructive to me.

It's like I'm putting my hand in the grill with an oven mit on. Right now, everything is great. There's no heat, but if I leave it in there, at some point my hand is going to get burned. However, I'm afraid I'm too stubborn to realize that without feeling the heat get through the mit for myself.

In lieu of the Big Plan, I have a "Little Plan". It's to remain alcohol free for 30 days. If I fail, I will be able to recognize I need to load up the big gun and make the lifelong commitment. I understand this is not following the tenets of AVRT, and that I'm possibly bargaining with my AV. But, I also hold the belief that my daily drinking has been as much of a habit, as it was an actual addiction that I am not able to control.

TU, Thank you for the links you sent in pm. I did take the crash course, and will be back to review it routinely, especially at this early stage of sobriety.

"At this early stage in the game, I may just be so overconfident with how easy it has been to stop drinking, that I haven't developed the healthy respect for alcohol's ability to be destructive to me. "

fredstorch - this is exactly what happened to me. Hope things will turn out differently for you.

This thread is continued here:

Rational Recovery #3

For reference, part 1 is available here:

Rational Recovery #1