Hopeless? No such thing. If there's hope for a drunk like me, there's hope for everyone. Even though I've got back on the sobriety wagon and am much better for it.
AA is excellent as is this board. If you're interested, got to AA and seek out the old timers who've done it for 20 or more years. They'll tell you about slip ups they had along the way. Great place to learn and share.