I think it's interesting that some people on this forum openly describe themselves as 'recovered alcoholics'. Not 'recovering' or even just 'alcoholic' but recovered. I went to AA meetings in Dublin for 10 months every day - sometimes twice a day - and only one person would introduce himself as a recovered alcoholic and some of the others would slag him off about this, behind his back. Then again it begs the question why does he need to attend AA meetings if he's recovered? This bloke looked very healthy and I had no reason to disbelieve his statements that he was off booze for 20 years. I'm just trying to tease all this stuff out for myself.