Originally Posted by
brokenwon 
do any of them ever live to regret their decision?
Yes, some do. But only if this happens.....
Originally Posted by
SparkleKitty If your ex ever chooses recovery from his addiction, embraces it with all his being, and is one of the very few strong and fortunate souls who are able to maintain it...
I left out
"for the rest of his life" because, as an alcoholic myself I cannot say forever. I live one day at a time. There are no guarantees. I have been sober 549 days today, tomorrow is not promised but if I do the best I can today and continue to do the right thing today, then tomorrow should be good as well.
I can say that I regret the things I have done. I have made verbal amends for them but I continue to be an example and be a living amends to my children.
I never lost them or abandon them but I was not emotionally available for them and I regret that. They deserved a sober mother. I cannot go back and change anything, I can only go forward.
Their father was an alcoholic as well and he died at 49 years old. So some do not make it to sobriety. I am sure he had regrets.
It is not that an alcoholic does not regret what they have done, many active ones do, they just do not know how to get out of the vicious cycle, they don't want to or the are still in denial that they even have a problem.