Originally Posted by
Cornishman 
when I've relapsed, I've often had no idea why - it feels as if the alcohol pushes aside everything else in my mind and blocks out all the arguments against it. I suppose I'll just try to be readier for those moments. Stay aware and don't give the drink the chance to step in.
How could alcohol push aside everything else, if you have not yet relapsed? Is it true what we often hear that the "relapse happens long before we take the first drink." If this is true, it seems like you are not taking steps early enough to prevent the relapse. You may need to be more vigilant and make vigilance part of your plan. You have the power to control this. You never have to take the first drink. That is always a choice, and you need to make that a habit. You do that by continually exercising your decision not to drink. That is how it felt to me when I found myself struggling against sobriety. Winning that struggle, makes the next struggle easier, until it becomes automatic.