The Beast tried to negotiate with me today
 

First time. I felt that I stayed in control, but I wasn't vulnerable today. It said things like "you don't drink as much as these other people" and "I know, how about you just give up drinking for just 30 days? Then, you won't have any physical cravings any more and you can moderate your drinking."

What was weird is that the physical craving seemed centered in my stomach. I have heard that the brain and GI tract are strongly interactive.

Yep, that be The Beast, all right. Recognizing the source of those thoughts is the first step. Once you have decided not to drink any more, the beast becomes 'not you', and you separate from it, so making that decision, that no-matter-what vow, is paramount.

As for your tummy, those feelings of hunger and gotta eat/drink, don't just originate from your brain, they originate from a specific place in the brain, the amygdala. This is sometimes described as 'the lizard brain', common to all of us critters more complex than reptiles. So there you go, then.

Have you made that solemn, harsh light of day plan? Is your AV 'not you'? Do you have a Big Plan?

Yeah, the amygdala, as fresh pointed out, is the lizard PART of the brain. I found it highly interesting, and helpful, to learn more about how this part of the brain works especially when it come to drug/alcohol abuse.

I'm glad you recognized it for what it was. Any thought associated with drinking or using is pure AV and therefore beast. Sometimes these thoughts are accompanied with a physical sensation such as hunger.

Yes, I have a plan and am committed to never drinking again and never changing my mind. However, I haven't been tested by a stressful "I don't give a damn" type of day yet. I did the AVRT online crash course, but nothing more detailed yet.

Thanks for the explanation on the brain stomach connection.

This is AV. You cannot "fail a test" by drinking when you have a plan to never drink again. Your beast might experience discomfort in certain situations, but YOU are just fine.