Originally Posted by
BrendaChenowyth 
So it's not a question here of why we drink / we drink because we're alcoholics, it's what mistakes do we make in recovery that we are not successful.
I think you are wrestling with semantics here Brenda. Recovery/sobriety is all about learning new coping skills. We will always make mistakes in life, but trying to nail down individual ones that specifically "make us drink" is a futile exercise. There will always be something....and new ones will always come out of nowhere.
The key is to formulate a plan/way of life to deal with mistakes, stress, "triggers". That might include a formal recovery plan. Maybe rehab for some. Perhaps therapy for others. But none of those plans have a list of things to avoid per se....they teach us how to deal with them when they come. And the only real mistake that matters is not having a plan or not following it.