Oh, Ivan, I hate to sound like doom and gloom, but I've often wondered the same thing.
My husband's bookkeeper's daughter went on a sub program for two years. Weaned down, off......within 6 months she's addicted again.
I don't know if the statistics are different if you get clean another way. I do know bv is a bil 12 stepper. I see a correllation in people staying sober who go to meetings; if for no other reason, you hold yourself accountable to someone else.