My counseler told me the other day, that with the disease of alcoholism, that no matter how confident we might feel, that alcohol bottle never leaves us. It's always sitting there on a shelf in the back of our minds somewhere waiting to resurface if we let it....
So, I guess it's good to always remember that too. Keep yourself aware of how you're feeling, and any triggers that can cause you to start craving it again. That way we don't become too confident in ourselves and get blindsided by something unexpected. Learning to deal with my anxities by other expressions besides drinking (such as classical piano), has also been a big help to me over the past few months. It's a great way to get rid of stress - pounding away on a piano!
PianoGirl
"Hitch your wagon to a star".