I only come around here when I start to get some odd cravings... can't identify why, but SR always keeps me grounded. I absolutely love this thread and reading the responses. Thanks for posting it!
For me, the downside was how to combat the boredom. When I drank, I drank to get drunk. Not take the edge off. I wanted to black out.. because that's just what I did. I'd wake up with bruises, cuts, scrapes, smelly, just overall not what I wanted to be. Am I perfect now? Ha, far from it! But I have very few regrets, I feel better, and working on being more social even though I'm sober.