Hi Muddcatt
I'm not an AA member but I wanted to welcome you anyway.
I found my way to success was through abstinence - most people here follow that line, and I think you'll find it universal in AA.
I struggled with the idea for a long time - but ultimately after failure after failure I gave in and realised it makes no sense to consume something that I can't control and that does me harm.
You could do worse than hang around here for a while and read a few threads and post a little - it might help you sort some things out
Hope to see you around
D