Great post Stabilizer. My experience is similar. It took a lot of adversity to lead me to AA and the program of recovery. I remember reaching 90 days and being amazed that I had lasted that long. By then I was well into the steps and the desire to drink hade been removed as promised.
Sometimes I am asked how long I have been sober. Maybe the most relavent answer is I have been sober since I took all 12 steps and adopted the AA way of life. Prior to doing that I couldn't get any real sobriety at all.