Good question...I have actually been thinking about that very thing today, and probably for the past few days. I haven't had a drink/toke/smoke in 23 days...I don't know the stages but I wasn't really near the end stage yet (at least I don't think I was), but I could kind of see that if I kept on binging like I was things could possibly get bad. I was getting to the point where I would wake up Saturday morning after drinking about 15 beers Friday night and crack a cold one and know I would be drinking all day. I was pretty much drinking from friday night until sunday night...that had me a tad worried. But, luckily, nothing really bad has ever really happened to me from my binges, I never lost a job, got arrested, lost a relationship the worst I experienced was the usual hangovers, remorse, guilt etc. Sometimes I think it would be easier to believe in things like the 12 steps of AA if I had hit rock bottom and had completely F'd up my life. But I didn't. From the outside my life today is pretty much exactly the same as it was 24 days ago, except I am not drinking, and I feel better and my outlook on life is much more positive. I'm really thinking my life would kick ass if I didn't drink again...but I have to be honest I am not 100% sure I won't. I'm hoping I will learn how to become 100% sure I won't drink again...I am much more open to learning about alcoholism today than I was 24 days ago. Ok, I'm starting to ramble...