Originally Posted by
saoutchik 
Inspiring post Venecia, many congratulations on reaching the 6 year point. Truly a success story.
I have been sober for roughly 4 years and 8 months and I would say that although alcoholism is the beast you cannot slay the "urge" to drink is just not there after a time, I no longer get the craving to drink when I first quit (or my prior failed attempts) Nowadays I just get the occasional fleeting thought of drinking which is really easy and painless to dismiss. It is best to stay vigilant which is why I am still on SR but I no longer require any willpower to not drink. I hope that helps.
Thanks. It certainly does help. I’m very surprised how much the urge has gone. I know full well it would come back with a vengeance if I attempted moderation (that’s always failed).
For anyone reading who’s recently quit, though. The urge during the first month or two seems stronger than ever. It’s a very unpleasant time. I can’t sugar coat that unfortunately, but certainly after 3 or 4 months my urge had all but gone. It only comes back when in certain situations. I was on a long-haul flight recently and everyone seemed to be drinking, for example. But as I said above, that one glass of wine would reawaken that urge and send me back to those unpleasant first few weeks feeling.
Well done on 4 years and thanks again