Geez you don't ask much La Femme
it's hard to give a short answer but I'll try
For me, when I was simply just 'not drinking'...
I was still living the same life, I had the same resentments, the same fears, the same mistrust of people, the same self centeredness and anger and rage at the world that I'd built up over many years of solitary drinking.
I was emotionally stunted and I wasn't interested in growing in any way.
I wasn't even aware I was stunted - I thought I was right.
My perceptions were still the twisted perceptions of an active alcoholic.
Some choose to call that being a dry drunk - to me I was just 'between drinks'.
When none of that frustration anger and fear 'went away' (I endured it for 2 months once) it was not surprising that I returned to drinking.
D