No pain, no gain has been my path. I am not clear minded that I can always make the right choices through a clear view, I tend to trust the God of my understanding and my behaviour seems to flow naturally from that, as have all the changes in me. I can't think of one single change I have engineered myself, yet I am a totally different person today.
Free choice is something I have when I am, for example, choosing a color to paint my house. My choices in life don't seem to be free, there is always a consequence. I am constantly seeking the "right" thought or action, not choosing between the right and wring courses. If I get it wrong, pain is the result. Likewise with drinking. I lost the power of choice long ago, and I never got it back.
Today the thought of drinking fills me with revulsion. I would rather die than drink again. Thankfully there is no need to make choices like that, alcohol is not a part of my new life, the concept of choice in that respect is totally redundant.