Some people say that, once you're sober, it's no longer about the alcohol, it's about everything else.
No, no, no, no, no.
I have a physiological problem with alcohol and with some other behaviours, whereby, if I start, I'm off to the races. 'Once you pop, you can't stop.'
So: Don't uncork what you can't contain.
But I will uncork it, I will.
And not because of unhappiness, 'unmanageability' (more about that canard in other articles), circumstances, psychology, or anything. Just because.
Rowland Hazard was mentally and physically well but relapsed.
Fred was mentally well and emotionally balanced, sensationally successful, and happy but relapsed.
It's about one thing, and one thing only: my physical brain is now trained to want to drink and act out in a number of ways, and this is unaffected by how well or unwell I am, how successful or unsuccessful I am, how complicated or sorted I am. It will always be there. Being bonkers or suicidal might accelerate the process, but being neither will not keep it caged.
What is the solution? God must be in charge. Full stop.
Now, putting God in charge requires me to sort out my mess (Steps Four to Nine). Keeping God in charge will gradually straighten everything else out, in and out. But that's the by-product, not the product.
What's the product? Sobriety. How do I ensure it? Be a servant of God.