count or don't count - it's immaterial as long as you're not drinking and stay stopped.
I think your Addictive Voice has you by the toe tho:
Better to me is to have relapsed to remind myself, "Oh, yes, this is not good." Then be more comfortable with the knowledge that drinking is not good and I'm not denying myself anything. I'm liberated.
There's nothing a relapse could teach you you don't know all ready. By, in effect, leaving that option open, you're opening yourself up to more misery.
Count or don't count - but don't believe the AV when it says you don't have to put some effort into staying in recovery.
The effort becomes automatic like breathing eventually, but until that point it's gonna take a little conscious effort.
Many many times my inner addict took the fear I had of a boring life full of effort and said 'screw this, we'd rather drink right?'
A life in recovery is not onerous - none of us would be here if it was.
Have a little faith - you'll be ok as a perpetually sober person
D