Originally Posted by
TroubleAfoot 
33 days. I have never before wanted to drink more when I wasn't drinking. I have had to endure more stressful situations, this time around, then during any other time I attempted to quit. I won't get into details other than I'm just going through some life changes and some personal developments. that are all going to be positive, but they were trying moments and the craving to drink through them was massive. However, even in the middle of it I just knew I wasn't going to drink, even though I desperately wanted to, because I'm looking at this go around like it's my last stand. It's now or never. I either take my life back now or, at age 51, it's just not ever going to happen.
I was 52 when I had my last drink. Before that time, all I ever considered was learning how to control my drinking, but one day I realized that I was a full blown alcoholic and getting worse. For a year after that, I pursued a cure, but basically, I didn't do one thing any different. All my energy just went into wishing harder that I could become well.
When I finally accepted, with the help of other recovering alcoholics, that I would have to quit drinking for good, that's when things changed, and it was rather an abrupt change, and like you, I knew I could never drink again and knew that I never would. And shortly after that, any desire to drink left me for good. In fact, the idea of drinking again was abhorrent to me. All I had to deal with then were just thoughts of drinking, but without the nagging obsession. Mostly just thoughts about how I used to drink, and at rarer times the thought that it would be pleasant to have a drink, but such non-obsessive momentary thoughts could easily be ignored.
25 years later, I have one of those thoughts every year or two, but they are only thoughts, and I even chuckle at them. I have no desire to have one drink. I know where that leads, and I have no desire to return to that misery. I believe that drinking is not necessary in anyone's life. Normies may do it and not suffer, but it is still not necessary in any way for happiness for anyone, and for you and I, the result will be the exact opposite of happiness.