I have a sleeping tiger that resides in me. It lies dormant, but isn't dead. All I have to do is add alcohol and I believe that beast will rage to life.
I haven't had a drink in over seventeen years. I can think of one "perfect storm" of events that almost led me back to taking a drink about three years ago. I was enraged about a situation. I should also say that I had successfully quit smoking cigarettes for a period of a year and a half at the time, and remember making a decision to buy a pack of cigarettes. I thought it was the better choice given my circumstances. For both addictions, I was way, way past the point of obsession and had not had cravings for either one in ages.
Incidentally, the one pack of cigarettes that day sent me back up to the two pack a day habitI had before I decided to quit the first time. It only took me about a month to get back to the two-pack a day level. I smoked for another year and a half after that, and had to quit all over again.
The object lesson: never, ever think the Beast is dead. I proved to myself that when it comes to addictive substances, the sleeping tiger always lies in wait.