Originally Posted by jazzfish
Why would quitting alcohol be any different for me or anyone?
For many, it's not different. It's the same process. I notice that it depends on how one views addiction, or "isms".
Originally Posted by jazzfish
Am I building alcoholism into a giant monster that will be difficult to defeat and require long-term (life-long) vigilance and struggle?
It's quite possible that you are.
Originally Posted by jazzfish
How much effort do the successfully sober people on the secular forum put into achieving and maintaining sobriety? How has this changed over time?
Once I made the decision, the switch flipped, it hasn't required much "effort" for me (if you mean in terms of struggling or guarding against). The effort I put in was in refining my understanding of the AV, and tweaking the ability to seperate and dismiss.
The biggest shift for me has been in learning how to deal with discomfort.