i'm not really sure what section to put this in, but feel free to move it.

for those that have been close to an alcoholic: has there been a time where they were able to drink again without it being a problem? how long after they become sober were they able to do it? do they stick to certain drinks that they are less likely to overindulge in, like beer or wine rather than hard liquor?

i'm not trying to minimize alcoholism or suggest that it's something that just goes away (a close old friend/roommate died in our old apartment recently from alcoholism, so i'm not a stranger to alcoholics, just a stranger to the recovered alcoholic). i'm just wondering if it's possible for someone to regain control of their drinking once they've had time to become sober and establish new habits. i've never had a drinking problem, and now i rarely drink, so it's hard for me to understand, but it seems like there are a lot of people that it's been an issue for a points in their lives.