I'll share my experience re: this.
Alcohol is not the problem, it is but a symptom.
When alcohol is taken away, we are the same, now sober. With nothing to "treat" our minds, and our alcoholic thinking.
It's my MIND which is the problem. My perception. Irritable, discontent, & a disatisfied mind.
This has taken me considerable time to understand and how is affects me, because I was not familiar with this concept & had not been introducted to this way of sobriety.
My last drink was May 2001, but after years of sobriety, I found that while many aspects of my life had improved, (hey, I wasn't drunk anyway...) I was still feeling like:
IS THIS ALL THERE IS TO THIS SOBRIETY THING?
SURELY THERE MUST BE MORE TO THIS........WHY HASN'T MY LIFE REALLY IMPROVED?
Can you relate to this?
Tom