I fully understand the aversion to the word "never", but it is the beast's aversion, not yours. Why do you fear the discomfort that "never" creates? I think if you fully understand the I/It split, you will understand that you have nothing to fear or feel uncomfortable about. Never is very liberating.
I guess it makes me uncomfortable because never is a word to my ear that has to have some evidence behind it. To say I never drink means I "not ever" or "at no time in the past or future; on no occasion; not ever." drink. In the past time (which is part of ever) I did drink so never can't be right. I could say I will never drink again or I never drink anymore/now (and i will never change my mind...) but that to me, because of the word never, suggests someone getting ahead of themselves. It sounds way overconfident for someone who was closer to always drinking than never drinking in action. Never is a cold mathematical word to me. In my mind, never exists after "never" has taken place, not before.
If someone is known to overeat and has an obvious obesity issue and they said to you, I never overeat, and I will never change my mind, wouldn't that sound/seem strange?