Glad you made it back Kamm. Don't feel bad that you didn't see it coming, that is very normal for the real alcholic in my experience. It is one of those conundrums that the person who is aware something is amiss and perhaps makes a call for help, usually doesn't drink, so they think all you have to do is call someone.
However the real aloholic on their way to relapse may be totally unaware. Life may be a bit crap, things may not seem quite right, but we don't connect the dots. Then the obsession (I can handle it) thought returns and from that point on all defenses are down. We never call because we either don't think of it, or as we have already decided we can handle it, we don't want any advice to the contrary. When the obsession is back we are going to drink and that is that.
Ideas like playing the tape tthrough didn't work for me either. Those kind of thoughts never came to mind. The horrible memory idea also fails. It was tried back in the dark ages in aversion therapy rehabs. They filled you up first with antabuse, and then twice a day gave you as much alcohol as you could stand. Anyone who has had an antabuse reaction would know that is a pretty horrible experience, however it never worked to keep the real alcoholic sober which is why none of those clinics are operating today.
It takes something more than fear of consequences or memory or self discipline to stay sober. It takes work, usually in a recognised program of recovery.