Originally Posted by
AVRT 
You used Neuro-Linguistic Programming / Aversion Therapy, no? That's a little more believable in my book, since I can actually imagine what you mean. Either way, I consider those who quit on their own the real experts on addiction, and your stories need to be told more often. The standard "nobody can do it alone" line is simply not true, and it dissuades many from even trying to quit.
At the time I didn't know what I was using. I have learned NLP and hypnotherapy since I started, but at the time I was using a form of CBT and my imagination. The thing I think that really iced the cake was my last 2 detox episodes. They scared the crap out of me and embarrassed the hell out of me. They were such strong and recent memories at the time it was easy to use those terrible feelings to my advantage, and recall them to the point where they would physically affect me when I thought about drinking.
I just had to be able to make myself repulsed mentally and physically to the thought of drinking. The thought of drinking brought about very real mental pictures that would bring about a physical reaction, (I would feel like gagging or dry heaving), that coupled with the positive changes I was making physically through exercise and self improvement and the positive reenforcement I was getting from my friends and family ended up making the job of beating the addictive voice kind of easy and almost pleasurable.