I can't speak for Roger, but yes. I can be around others or even go to a bar now and not want to drink, but I have thought about drinking. I just know I can't. As far as how long being sober that takes, it depends on the individual. It took me about 10 years to be comfortable around others drinking.Congrats.
I'm not in that position, but am curious, does it get easy after a while or do you still have to watch and remind yourself?
I haven't known too many of the addicted types personally. The ones I have known never made the 12 steps and are no longer with us, so I'm glad you're still around.
The problem is that if your brain and craving can convince you to have a drink, it will convince you to have another.
Sometimes listening to others describe a drink and how good it tastes makes it hard. When I quit I don't believe there was anything like Fireball, and that's something I'd really would like to try, but then I remind myself that I can't.I get that part, I just didn't know what the cravings or thoughts were like. I dipped snuff for a couple of decades. Not anywhere near the same thing, but the closest experience I've had to it. For the first couple of years, I would still get a craving now and again and have to remind myself I had quit. Having other people around me doing it, or having any offered to me doesn't bother me one bit. I no longer have a desire to do that at all, but I can see Roger's point about if I started again, it would get back to like I had never quit.
But I'm not trying to compare what I dealt with to anything close to what you and Roger are dealing with. That, in my mind, is an entirely different level of addiction.
Sometimes listening to others describe a drink and how good it tastes makes it hard. When I quit I don't believe there was anything like Fireball, and that's something I'd really would like to try, but then I remind myself that I can't.