Maybe because drinking has become a part of life? It did for me - I had more of a "drinking solution" because alcohol was my "solution" for every part of life.
Just putting down the substance has not been enough. I have had to learn new ways to deal with everything - good and bad.
Also, I believe after 13 years of daily drinking, my brain was pretty used to alcohol; and it has taken some adjusting to being used to not putting alcohol in my body.