Thanks for the responses guys. I hear what you're sayin'. Yea, the kindling effect is very unfortunate.. I wish I knew about that before! I just wonder with enough abstinence whether that will ever go away.
I don't know what I"m going to do in the meantime. Here everything seems to revolve around drinking.. nights out, weddings, celebrations, you name it. (it's preaching to the choir I know). I just wish eventually -- years from now -- I wouldn't have to explain to someone that I can't have a single drink because of a bad phase I went through some X years ago., y'know?