I lied from personal preference and habit, and would often practice in the mirror to perfect my abilities.
I also went to AA and other things when the heat was on but I didn't want to stop drinking. I'd go just for appearances and to get people off my back until it was safe to drink again, never really connecting or committed.
So I was using AA to drink and receive less agitation from those around me who would be fooled by it. Did that for years and would tell people AA didn't work for me, though I tried mightily and repeatedly and just really heroically, and how sad it was that AA failed to live up to it's promises in my case.
After some years I got sick of myself and living like an immature trickster loser, misusing people I was supposed to care about and any strangers that came along I could get something from and connected with a sober AA that was willing to give me his time.
He took me through the steps because someone had helped him, and I've not drank or drugged since.
What a surprise. Doing all the old stuff that people said works worked when not doing the stuff that works didn't work. You'd have thought I could have put that one together within a few years of occasionally hearing it plainly said in meetings.
Guess part of my error was thinking that I was very special and the sober people were not special in the special way that I was special.
I'm soon to start my 4th sober decade because they weren't kidding about this working well.
Hope you do the stuff, no pity from me if you don't.