Originally Posted by
Turninganewleaf 
Physically I have recovered somewhat thanks to my periods of sobriety. But mentally, I still feel out of touch with reality and find myself thinking about picking up a cold beer.
I don't think it's important to worry about what everyone else thinks of our drinking patterns. If someone is able to maintain long periods of sobriety, but "relapses" every so often, that does not take away what they learned during sobriety. Obviously the health and social concerns of daily drinking are minimized. So yes, there is progress. But there is also the fact that if we can't predict the outcome of our drinking, we don't know what's going to happen. Each binge could be the last, because I could hurt or kill myself or someone else, which is why it is so dangerous for me to even consider that I could drink again. I also run the risk of damaging my relationships.
Perhaps most importantly, as you've noted, the obsession to drink is hard to get rid of if drinking is still an option. Mentally and spiritually, I cannot imagine what it is like struggling with staying sober for ten years. I remember how miserable those first few days/weeks/months were, and I can't imagine living in that state for so long. So I applaud you for keeping at it! I would echo others' comments to keep trying, and perhaps try something different.