Such suspense!
To drink or not to drink.
Ah, yes. That
is the question!
And listen to all the commotion in your
head!
"If I could make this decision, I wouldn't
have a problem in the first place. I could say never, but I would just be
lying to myself. And if I say never, and then go ahead and drink, I'll feel
like a failure, so I would just be setting up a big fall for myself by saying
never again. And who's to say that I have to abstain? Lots of psychologists
say abstinence is unrealistic, and scientific studies show that many people
with drinking problems learn to drink moderately. They kind of mature out of
it. And even if I quit for good, how do I know my life would really be much
better? I could see maybe six months, and if I was doing OK by then, it would
be obvious that I would remain abstinent, because it would be stupid to start
drinking again if things are going better because I'm not drinking. I might
eventually have to give it up altogether, but right now I'm under incredible
pressure from all sorts of things, and it wouldn't be good for me to undertake
something as significant as a Big Plan without really giving it some serious
consideration and picking a time when things are going along more steady than
they are right now. And actually, things can go on this way for a while, like
I mean nothing really terrible is happening, and I can live with myself even
if others can't, and if I am careful to not really overdo it and drink more
responsibly, I can still have some when I can really enjoy it without really
causing big troubles. I know if certain things happen or if I get to feeling a
certain way I will definitely drink, so there's no use being perfectionistic
about this, and besides, I can cut back using some of the AVRT stuff to
control how much rather than whether I drink.This AVRT is probably good for
people with problems that are more serious, or actually less serious than my
problems. Maybe if I get out to meetings that will settle me down and make me
really conscious of the bad consequences of drinking and I can get some
support there and maybe straighten some things out about me that are driving
me to drink so crazily, sometimes. This Big Plan thing is too abrupt and there
isn't really any proof it works because RR hasn't been around that long, and
the experts are really divided about the best way to approach sobriety in the
first place. Actually the Big Plan is probably the best idea of all, but it
just doesn't come naturally, and there's no point in doing something unnatural
because you can't live up to it down the line."
"Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah,
blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah,
blah, blah, blah, blah,"
SAID THE BEAST!
Definition review:
Addictive Voice: Any thinking or
feeling that supports the possibility of any future use of alcohol or drugs --
EVER.
NEXT