Hi SoberRunner
The difference for me between sporadic recovery and permanent recovery was effort and commitment, I think.
When I decided to stop for good I knew my life had to change because my life was all about drinking.
My ideas of fun centered around a bottle and others drinking.
I had to change that.
tired, scared, angry, self pity, restless, irritable, bored?
I drank to cope.
I had to find new ways of combating those things.
It wasn't always comfortable to do that, so I had to learn to sit with discomfort and not drink as well.
Of course I needed support to do all this and SR helped me.
After a while I realised that stopping drinking is not like a diet you do and then go back to normal...it is really about a
life change.
If you can accept the need for change - and work for it, even when you want a drink, I think you'll find yourself staying in recovery
D