"When the only tool you have is a hammer you tend to see every problem as a nail." Abraham Maslow
I used the above quote to my benefit in my early days of being a non-drinker. I had to realize that what I was doing with alcohol was more than just a conditioned response for me, although it certainly had become that.
Someone on another forum wanted to know why "everyone" seemed to be "suffering" if "just say no" worked. I tried to explain the difference between "mouthing the words" proclaiming abstinence, as opposed to redefining oneself as someone who just does not drink.
Removing alcohol from your "toolbox" necessarily requires replacing it with something else, and it just takes practice. I didn't just jump from using my old IBM Selectric typewriter that I thought was so technically advanced in the 70's, to the computer I use now. But they are both just tools. It took some adjusting along the way.
Of course, jumping off alcohol is far more abrupt, but you can adjust. By far the hardest part of quitting drinking for me was that my AV told me HE held all the tools. Well, not any more!
FT