Lessons learned??

I am trying to learn lessons from previous failed attempts at long term sobriety. Last time I had any length of time to speak of was 3 years ago when I stopped drinking for 3 months. I have been wracking my brains to figure out what went wrong, I think it was something very subtle.

I remember is my son was going to a party on bonfire night (Guy Fawkes is celebrated here!) and its something I used to go to with him but decided not to as it might be tempting to drink. Attending social events around drink was something I had not tackled yet. I had a fleeting feeling of 'missing out' but nothing major. I went to a fireworks display with my younger son, where there was no drink at all so no temptation, but bought wine on the way home and just thought I'd have a glass. Of course I had it all.

One of the only things I can think of is that since I had managed almost 3 months, there was something in me that thought 'if I've managed this I can easliy stop again'. And that was 3 years ago so this time round I have proved that isnt the case. Just before stopping this time I was really afraid that I had passed some point of no return. I think that experience has helped reinforce in me the fact that I cant ever drink normally, so hopefully that will help and I just do not want to risk repeating the last 3 years, or worse. But it is frightening that it just seems to creep up from no where.

The other thing I am bearing in mind is that several people seem to have reported drinking again, seemingly suddenly at the 3 monthish mark and theres an article (posted here somewhere) about that being a particular danger time in protracted physical withdrawal. So this time round I intend to be very wary at that point. Related article posted on LifeRing forum