Ahh but there is something else you best not forget.
When and A gets SOBER and STAYS SOBER, over time we build NEW PATHWAYS to replace the ones that were fried by the alcohol.
I have my brain scans to prove it. There are areas of my brain that in most people are active and in mine are dead, dead, dead. There are other areas of my brain, that in most people are not really used and in my brain are very very active.
With recovery we can BUILD new pathways in the brain and live a full and productive live, being kind thoughtful and considerate to all who cross our paths.
HOWEVER, it does NOT happen overnight. It is not a QUICK fix. It is an ongoing changing process for the rest of one's life.
Alcohol and/or drugs DESTROY brain cells by the thousands and ten thousands. That is NOT an excuse, it just is. Now the A has to WANT to change their life. I do believe the phrase:
"sick and tired of being sick and tired"
really describes the A's bottom.
There is hope.
That being said, watch from a distance.
Love and hugs.