that act alone of quitting and staying quit is only the beginning of the journey...how one chooses to live that now sober life is the true test. some addicts wake up and say WOW, you mean all this cool stuff has been here all this time? look at the flowers, listen to the birds, God smiled at me thru the sunrise this morning.
and others find life without the substance empty, meaningless, a prison sentence.
many those who truly seem to GET recovery also have some type of recovery program that they immerse themselves in. like having a personal trainer at the gym...it only works if you WORK IT. and that means time away from the home, the family, going to meetings, or counseling, or after care....working with other recovering addicts and those who still suffer. going thru the emotional revelations of step work, or therapy.
some can't handle the ordeals of REAL life. some need to separate and be alone without all the distractions. some realize they made a mistake in getting married, but now have a wife and three kids. some have a hard time getting back into the work world and struggle to earn a decent living. some have made such a financial mess that it seems near to impossible to ever straighten out. some can't find their @ss with both hands and a map.
some go on to be responsible productive citizens. great fathers, wives, sisters, sons. some may amass YEARS of recovery and that make that one bad decision and drink or use again. some quit and never look back. some quit and ALWAYS look back.
addiction isn't a cold you get over. it's a complex illness coupled with a physical compulsion and a mental obsession. there are deep seeded reasons why one will drink or use regardless of the consequences, in spite of the consequences, again and again and again. and even with the "best" of efforts, the beast known as addiction never sleeps.