Very good thread indeed.
I haven't drank again.....yet...since I wanted to get sober and became willing to do whatever it took.
However, I have heard the experience of others from between 30 days and 26 years. Some of the things I've heard:
got complacent.
stopped praying.
Stopped going to meetings.
Stopped talking t my sponsor and others in recovery.
Stopped helping others.
Let old behaviors come back in.
Let old faces back in my life.
Started hanging at wet places.
Harbored a resentment.
I use their experiences to help me stays over.
One thing I keep in mind:the man with 26 years sober who drank again was only out for about a month. He said it wasn't like he picked up where he left off. It was like he never stopped.