Hi Andy, that was a great read. I’ve had a break from the booze cruise for nearly 24 years now, and, yes, life gets so much better. Home, wonderful partner, finances in order, and really happy in my own skin.

Unlike you, I was never able, for whatever reason (and I haven’t fathomed it in 24 years) to make the choice to put alcohol down when I was drinking and I drank myself into a vicious self-destructive cycle. Eventually with controlled medication and assistance from other people who had a similar experience with alcohol, I managed to get off the cruise for a few weeks, and I concluded that, if I rejoined it, history suggested pretty emphatically that my self-destructive cycle would continue ad mortem. (I started writing infinitum there.)

Talking to others with similar experiences has been an important part of the process for me, and I still like to spend a few hours a week talking with people who have experienced or are experiencing the vicious cycle. Life gets better and better.