hey Don....welcome to SR...i too came across this site after googling "recovery" and i have been here ever since...ive had lots of support and made some great friends here.
i tried many many times to give up drinking...swore blind i would never touch the stuff again...right from a very early age.....i couldnt do it on my own and a few years ago when i was totally done decided to give AA a go.
AA is not for everyone and there are as many ways to recover.....i wish you all the best but if you find yourself struggling then maybe this could be something to investigate.
best wishes.