My husband is 40 years sober from alcohol and he still goes to AA meetings. When he stops going once a week, I notice a subtle shift in his mood. He has to work every day, but he has figured out a brain retraining program for himself after many years of being a recovery counselor and going back to groups, leaving, and then going back. Between his personal brain (re)training and the groups, he does well. It took me a long time to realize how hard he works every day. If you haven't lived with addiction in one form or another, it's tough to appreciate its cunning and diabolical power. There is a reason "one day at a time" matters.