When there is a question about a sponsees sincerity in AA there is an expression, "watch their feet". In other words watch what they are doing and ignore what they say. The AA program takes a change in thought and action. The action is very important.
Originally Posted by
KittyP 
He had been seeing a community support group where we used to live and very grudgingly attending AA. We moved a few weeks ago and he's now attending AA 3 times at weekends and actually seems to be getting something from it. He had been seeing an alcohol specialist psychologist where we used to live and had one appointment with an alcohol specialist psychiatrist in our new area but hadn't been able to schedule a new appointment due to starting a new job. Though he also didn't try work around that and was seemingly content to put it on the back-burner.
This morning he rang his psychologist and has scheduled a weekly phone session with her as of tomorrow. He's also left a message with the psychiatrist here to try arrange an appointment this week or else get a recommendation for someone he can see on Saturday mornings. He also got some recommendations from someone he likes at one of his AA meetings for some late evening, weekday AA meetings that he can try out after work.
With the slips it doesn't look like he's too successful, but it does appear that he is taking some kind of action toward saving his own life. I tend to sponsor many chronic relapsers and many of them do eventually get and stay sober as long as they continue to "get back in there and run that play until they get it right". Don't get your expectations too high, but from what you's detailed he's trying to claw his way out of the hopeless category.
Originally Posted by
KittyP He said he'd been under the stupid impression that moving home would make everything ok.
That's called a "geographic cure". Most alcoholics try it, with the same results.