Hi FridayJude!
Congratulations on your newfound sobriety!
I've been reading lots of stories lately about people relapsing after relatively long periods of time. It's scary, because it's been over 20 years for me, and yet I know I am still susceptible.
You almost hit a year last time. You know, you really do stop thinking about alcohol all the time after enough time goes by sober. I really don't think about alcohol at all any more, except when I come here and read the stories to remind myself that I must remain vigilant for the rest of my life. It is just SO much easier now to do that with so much time under my belt.
Hang tight. Your recent relapse is not a failure. You have already seen what you are capable of. Now's the time to put it all behind you again.
Good luck as you move forward! I never did AA, but they are a great group and there are so many people there just like you. The value of community cannot be underestimated.
FT