It's a failure only if you don't take the time to examine how you got into the situation to begin with.
The one thing I never thought of before was the recovery plan. I always looked at it from a willpower perspective.
The plan helps you build your life without alcohol and helps you identify your triggers so you don't mindlessly get into bad situations.
If you learn from your mistakes, I don't think you're starting from scratch. You learned your current plan doesn't work.