One of the things I learnt from AA was that self-knowledge alone is usually not enough for recovery. However, after one is sober, self-knowledge and related positive feedback can really help reinforce the fact you made the correct decision. I know it does not happen to everyone, but in my case, I received immediate positive feedback. My elevated liver enzymes dropped to a normal range, I lost body fat and gained muscle from workouts unhampered by drinking alcohol afterwards, and I still eat what I want to (without midnight binging due to coming home loaded).