Great question about returning to social drinking.
Me - I never was a social drinker, I was a drunk, so I have nothing to return to.
If I want to control it, I can't enjoy it. If I want to enjoy it, I can't control it.
Moderation for an alcoholic is pure torture. Why torture yourself? Ask someone with an overeating disorder if they enjoy moderation. I imagine their answer would be, "F**k no! I would rather be eating 6 Quizno's and a carton of ice cream right now."
We all need to eat, drink water, breathe, poop and sleep to stay alive. But even too much of any of those things can be detrimental to your health. You don't need alcohol to stay alive.
Total abstinence from alcohol is the only way I can guarantee that I won't ever have a drinking problem again.