SLB, lol, that was quite the visual. I bet when the cat took off you were probably getting a good laugh out of it. Not being mean to the kitty but the concept of the abrupt reaction to the smell and yet we drink it!
caboblanco, I completely get what you're saying. Being a science minded person myself I had a rough time with everything that you speak of. I believe that's part of why I had such a hard time with all the prior attempts. I was not willing to give in to a higher power or admit that I was helpless. That was BIG me. My mother always called me "little miss independent". No one could tell me what to do.
On this most recent attempt I decided that it was time to give up, to give in and admit that I was powerless. For sure, nothing else was working. I found my higher power and I pray and I meditate daily. I preplan to combat my AV. I am a science minded person who has a hard time with the religion that I was raised in and had very little faith, if any at all. Yet It boggles, mystifies, and amazes me that when I followed this route that it has worked. So far, sober for 84 days and more importantly, and not one person who knows me would have ever believed it, THIRTEEN weekends with no alcohol and very little discomfort. I'm still a little gun shy but here's where the logic comes in. I tried everything that I could, science based, and had no success. Then, decided to really put my all into something that I had a hard time believing in. Then, to not only have it be successful but to restore my faith. I now can't deny that there has to be something greater than us and if we look to it we will find what we need because I have found it.
That's the best that I can give.