Overcoming a terminal brain illness is quite a big deal I would think. It is of course what every responsible adult should do and actually do, live a sober life, but sick people sometimes are unable to overcome their illness on their own.
Appearances are so deceptive too. Non-alcoholics often compared me to my contemporaries when I was drinking. While there were times when they drank like I did, by my late teens most of them had grown out of it, moderated and settled into a normal sane life. Everyone wanted to know why I couldn't do that too. A couple of my old friends got religion and thought I should just stop like they did. They strongly believed if they could do it, so could I. And when I couldn't, they abandonded me. I will never forget how it felt the day they met me at the entrance way to their property and told me to go away.
I knew I "should" try and develop into a mature responsible adult, not that I had any idea what that was. People around me seemed to be able to do it, and it was a great source of despair for me when they continually went on about how everyone else can do it, why can't you.
I know why now. I fitted the description, and was also medically diagnosed as a chronic hopeless alcoholic, a state from which not many recover. I was well past the point where I could have recovered on my own, in fact I doubt such a point ever existed.
I have seen my medical file and its not very complimentary reports on my state of mind and living circumstances, along with observations on what we in AA would cal character defects. It is not pleasant reading to say the least.
And indeed it is an amazing thing that I am today no longer suffering from this illness. Amazing because I totally lacked the ability, knowledge and power to fix myself. In fact you could almost say I have recovered in spite of myself.