Well, it sounds like you've cut back by half, that is good!
The pre-planned hangover thing didn't work for me. Believe me, I've tried all kinds of schemes. The problem is that when you have a hangover, you are still pretty drunk. You aren't really sober.
With a hangover, you aren't experiencing the euphoria of the first hours of drinking and the fun part, you are experiencing all the physical pain and all the psychological grief afterwards: anxiety, lack of self-esteem, "I'm a pile of crap"....doubt. Fear. And the alcohol is still in your body.