Toots, those middle-aged ladies become old ladies who indulge a bit too much! I've seen that where I live. People are generally careful about public behavior but the number of liquor bottles in the recycling is sometimes amazing.
I'm beginning to realize that alcohol use and abuse covers a very wide spectrum and is not a simple yes/no situation. As I've thought about my own struggles as I read and sometimes respond to the Newcomers' threads, I think I'm also seeing that spectrum. For some of us, when we keep relapsing, I'm not so sure that it's lack of will as much as perhaps it's a particular variety of brain chemistry. I used to be one of those people who could stop drinking on a dime and stay sober for a number of years. This last time was completely different and took me totally by surprise. I think I've become a bit less judgmental about people's struggles. We truly are all different.