Originally Posted by
Kejun 
My first five years sober was 2004-2009 and I went back out. It took me a little over eight years to get my sobriety back. It does not get better. We don't "mend" ourselves, or figure out the elusive answer to be able to moderate and drink like normal people.
Many years ago, before I knew anything about alcoholism, one of the first things I remember reading was a quote in an article taken from some supposedly respected official source (undoubtedly not staffed by any alcoholics) that after 5 years of abstinence, an alcoholic is considered cured. That was in my lifetime. Well, we've come a little ways as a society since then.