People with a stable sense of identity, good internal chemical cocktails, and a lack of trauma also have good self-control. It goes with health, and while some of it is under our control, some isn't. I do all the things you do re: diet, writing, and keeping a normal schedule but I don't sleep well (despite many attempts, hygiene, etc.) due to hormones. It throws my whole schedule off. I spend a great deal of time keeping a fairly rigid schedule so I'll have self-control. When you have to discipline yourself to that degree, the energy you gain from all that self-control gets used up maintaining it. The lucky people are the ones who don't have addictive personalities, trauma, and constant change in their lives....over which they have no control. Sure, you can into a 12-step group and recover--and it takes a lot of resources to manage that.