These same CBT techniques and NLP ideas are very powerful tools in treating addiction too. Learned helplessness and hopelessness are classic clinical aspects of addiction and are directly amenable to CBT and NLP. In fact, they are the primary evidence based treatments for addiction. If you point your googler at 'cbt addiction', you find over 15 million references!
Changing our thinking patterns can be empowering, and can most definitely lead to changing behaviour patterns. We most certainly can think our way out of the morass. That first realization that we actually can quit drinking is a lightning bolt - the curtains of learned powerlessness fall away, and our true potential is there in front of us.