Well, for me the pain of my last drunk and the consequences of it weren't enough to use as something to keep me from drinking. The pain lessens over time, and I couldn't remember it vividly enough to curb the addiction.
And that's a good thing. When I remember the times I've had terrible physical pain, it's a good thing I can't re-experience it, re-feel it at that level. The body is designed to forget such trauma.
What did work for me was a desire - born of desperation - to live differently. And it didn't take long until the positive reinforcements I get from sobriety became more appealing to me than getting drunk. Once that happened, I no longer needed to use negative reinforcement. Positive reinforcement is always better. Ever train a dog?
At first it was, "I have to get sober."
Now it's, "I want to be sober, b/c this way of living is so much damn better."