Another term for 'The Beast'?
 

I have been doing some preliminary reading into RR and AVRT and have ordered a book due to arrive tomorrow. One sticking point so far is the term 'The Beast'. I relate to the concept but not the term. Does anyone else follow this approach but use a different term? Suggestions welcome.
Carly

How about, "The Voice"?

It's just a term/concept for the lower part of yourself - the dissonant part that goes against your best interest.

You can call it Suzie. :) (or whatever you want, ya know?)

- stupididiothead
- buttface
- fartknocker

The Amygdaloid Complex

or, as I like to call it (with respect to alcohol) The Liar Living in My Head.

Illness, Disease, Monster, Tiger

Mine is more feminine and starts with a B. Seriously, the seductive nature of my AV makes it more of a bad romance for me. Stinkin Thinkin would be an archaic AA corollary maybe but AVRT is unique in compartmentalizing " the voice ". just my take

A**hole. I'm admitting nothing, but I recall from my drinking past that it was the term that would cut through all the noise and get me to shut up.

I didn't go for the GRRRRRR BAD DOGGIE DOWN BOY approach, either. I think I understood the intention of the Beast identification though, and that was to identify the urges and thoughts of drinking now or in the future as a comfort or pleasure seeking aspect of my self, the lower aspects of myself. This was a part of me that was about to separated and rejected as being dangerous to my physical, emotional, and psychological health. I had decided it was dangerous to my future as it contravened and contradicted a new plan I had made for myself, a plan to never drink again.

Like anattaboy, I complared these urges to the feelings I had once about an old girlfriend. Our relationship had become toxic. She lied to me, she cheated on me, she stole from me, she made me feel miserable and depressed and hopeless. Hey Bingo! Just like vodka! Like my relationship with vodka, I cut it off hard and deep and clean. I would never go back to her, even for one night, no matter what. Thoughts of doing that were the understandable response of my comfort and pleasure seeking brain.

But those days were done and over. If she had come to me again, I would have opened the door, smiled to myself, and simply shut it again.

And that is the approach I took, and still take, when I get an urge to drink. I recognize it for what it is, I try to look at it clearly, and then shut the door.

On a related note..Buddhists would call it simply the Mind. Anyone who has even attempted to meditate and just observe one's own mind for even a few minutes will find it unreliable sober, drunk or otherwise. The Beast indeed can take the form of "the evil one" for those steeped in that tradition (laying in wait, wanting only bad for me). I like AVRT and know the AV is really me if I take a drink and even some without. The constant grasping is the problem. Everything is just fine. Chop wood, carry water and let thoughts come and go (they always have anyway), it's when I attach that the problem begins .... Best Wishes.

I call it my lizard brain. It helps quite a bit since I don't like to think of myself as being controlled by the intellectual equivalent of a lizard. Unflattering to say the least.

Service dog works well for me. I'm not into over thinking all this stuff. The beast is my highly trained service dog and I its handler. This way I have a metaphor to work with: I don't let it up on the sofa. Period. To do so would be at my own peril.

CroMag.

AV or lizard brain works for me. Although, I was never able to separate it from myself. I simply acknowledge it as "my addiction," however boring and simplistic that may be ;)

I never gave it much thought. When the occasional thought of having a drink pops into my head, I just acknowledge it and remind myself that I will never drink again.
I sometimes refer to it as that nonsense in my head.

what else but... Grog ;)

http://www.glennsasscer.com/wordpres...11/01/grog.jpg

the BC fans will laugh LOL

D

That's funny that you posted about your X Freshstart because t the first thing which came to my mind was Bad XBF

I'm new to the technique but I'm going to think of mine as my Gollum... always at war with himself about his preciousssssss. But I'm going to win!

Zenchaser
You ARE winning right now, you got this, and know there is nothing that can stop You from winnng, Onward!

I never get tired of this:

Hahaha! Awesome!