Just recognizing I should QUIT was exceptionally hard for me. I allllllways planned to "stop temporarily." Quitting forever wasn't a thought I ever entertained on my own. Luckily, my drinking was frequent and bad enough that I eventually had a judge make that decision for me. Honestly, I don't know how bad it would have had to have gotten before I was willing to surrender. Looking back now, with the clarity of hindsight......if I had to make that call on my own, I probably would have ended up in jail or blowing my head off before I ever made it myself.
Once I got to AA and set aside some of the silly judgments I had of the program and the people, staying stopped wasn't any harder than it is to NOT walk into a bank and rob it...... It just doesn't really occur to me to drink all that often (occasional thoughts.....sure, but they're short and not very strong). Education on alcoholism, friendship/fellowship, and support are nice enough.....but I've needed more to get recovered and stay that way.