How hard is alcoholism and addiction? In hindsight, for me they were very hard. Initially recovery seemed hard, but it was new to me so I should have expected that. I learn by repetition not by nature.
Now that my recovery years are getting closer to the amount of years I spent in my disease, I find recovery to be a less hard lifestyle. My disease lifestyle was very hard and a took a huge toll on my mind, body, and spirit, not to mention time and finances.
I find recovery to be the easier softer way. It is work, but so was my disease.