Redmayne

I'm always puzzled by those who practice what is known as 'white knuckle sobriety', to effect their recovery from alcoholism.

Which as I understand it takes place where a person suffering from alcoholism, under the description that it's a two fold disease/illness consisting of a physical allergy and a mental obsession, the only respite from which is complete abstinence.

Simply stops drinking, without putting any other form of recovery in their life, and , metaphorically speaking, just clings on to their sobriety to the extent they turn their knuckles white, with the ever present risk that one day. They'll 'lose their grip' and suffer a relapse...from which they may never return...

I raise this question simply on the basis that if recovery where that simple, i.e. just stopping drinking. I know mine certainly wasn't, we'd all be doing it. And were not unless I'm missing something?

Or there's something, someone hasn't told me?