Originally Posted by
daredevil 
It's taking longer than I'd like, but the endgame is permanent abstinence.
You make it sound like you're a passenger, the train is delayed and it's beyond my control. But you are the only person who sets the timetable, so you get to decide what longer is, or what you'd really like.
It sounds like you want to continue this drinking/stopping for a bit/drinking cycle, and that's your choice. One of three things will result. You may be able to keep this up indefinitely without major negative consequences, and some people manage to do that. You may eventually decide to quit entirely, before or after you start accumulating major negative consequences. Or you may spiral all the way down the hole and die like so many have done before you. But you get to make the decisions.