thank you desert kate for your post,wonderfully put.me too saphie to what kate said,the only defense i have against taking that first drink is my spiritual condition and my relationship with the God of my understanding which i learned throught the 12 steps of alcoholics anonymous,without this i would have been on the perpetual rollercoaster of trying to stop,being stopped then starting again.its not like that today,indeed as kate said,after my last drink the craving were taken away,i havnt had a craving in nearly 10 months and i barely think of drink these days,if i do it is soon replaced with another thought.the obsession has gone.pretty amazing for a hopeless chronic alcoholic! congrats on your sober time.