There are some great posts on this thread.
The main point is...sobriety is not a passive event. It is not something that happens to you, it is something you actively create and protect.
I often hear words like hope or wish when someone is struggling with chronic relapsing. I think relapsing can become a habit. And when someone is stuck in this cycle, they make random efforts that are less about truly getting sober and more about atonement.
Opening up to another person or persons invites accountability. Sometimes they help us see that we are protecting our drinking without even realizing it. My journey began when I picked up the phone and called an addiction counselor. I don't even think she was that great of a therapist, but the sheer act of vocalizing my alcohol issues to another person helped me really begin to own my problem. I remember feeling both dismal and relieved. But just getting honest felt like letting sunlight into a very dark corner.