First off, relapse is NOT inevitable! I drank for nearly 30 years and have now been sober for nearly 7 years, with no relapse. The more quality sober time you build-up, the more resistant you'll be to those urges (aka the AV). I've been through some health problems and the death of my father and not once did I feel the need to retreat back to the alco-hell from whence I came.
I also love the feeling of "being myself" again. I felt so hopeless near the end of my drinking "career", that I now take nothing for granted, no matter how small those moments, I try to appreciate each and every one of them.