Thanks for sharing, natator88. Been there, I truly feel empathy for your previous situation. How is it going now? I also struggled for many years, and overcame. 18 months of good sleep so far. I wrote post here about it, if you have the time I'd appreciate your feedback - and if you recognize what I recommend in my post, let me know. Cheers to those blissful nights :)
You know, the more I open up and the less ashamed I feel about discussing my insomnia, the more other people tell me that they, too, experience at least some form of insomnia. I feel it's much more common than most people realize.
As to your post:
You are already in control. This reminds me of what one of my CBT books said, that the fix has to be internal (a changed mindset, habits, etc.) as opposed to external (medicine, alcohol, etc.) because only then will you feel like you have control over the situation. I totally agree.
Think and grow confident. "Dealing with the destructive, repetitive, anxiety-fueling inner dialogue is next." Wow. Powerful and important stuff. For me, insomnia was a destructive spiral down into the depths of despair, and I only finally clawed my way out thanks to CBT.
Insomnia is harmless. This reminds me of the current insomnia book I'm reading, Say Goodnight to Insomnia. Dr. Jacobs lays out all the research performed on insomnia, detailing exactly how harmless it is (except to your attitude!)
No matter how little you sleep, you'll make it in the end. This reminds me of a saying I saw in meme form once: My track record for surviving difficult days is 100%. I repeat this during the day multiple times after experiencing insomnia. I've survived 100% of the days after insomnia; that's a pretty good track record.
"I am now a free man." I definitely understand how you feel. When I finally got my insomnia under control, I indeed felt like a free woman. I am lucky I only suffered from severe insomnia for about 1.5 years as opposed to your 19. I can only imagine how that must have felt.
Caveat: I still suffer from insomnia intermittently. I assume I always will, since I'm so predisposed to it. However, since beginning CBT, I've not had more than one night of insomnia in a row, and I usually only experience it twice or three times per year now.
Cheers, and happy sleeping!