I don't know that we are ever out of the woods. I think the 'woods' are all around us - in front, behind. For me, I had a good 7 years and all it took was a major event in my life that led me to turn back to drinking to numb the pain. What I learned is that even though I stopped drinking, I didn't take a realistic assessment of myself and how I coped. I went back to what I knew like it was a default action. If you are on the journey of sobriety, I believe it is important to discover healthy coping mechanisms that would replace alcohol. The reason? Crap will hit the fan at some point in your life and you best be prepared on how you will deal with it to avoid taking that self medication.