And now this woman who could not go a few hours without alcohol has gone almost three years without a drop. It's a miracle that I can only attribute to AA. I knew very little about AA before I started going. Yes, they say your name and hello when you speak, but they also get your life in order when nothing else on earth can—not doctors, not loved ones, not even you. AA has taught me how to be responsible, and how to take control of my life, when all I had wanted was to die.

Do I miss drinking? Of course! Alcoholism never goes away—it's still there in my mind waiting to strike, reminding me only of the good times. It takes a lot of strength to fight. Sometimes it's hard. Sometimes it's a breeze. But I never want to go back to that Sunday morning when I knew I was ready to die. Today I still have that wonderful boyfriend and a lucrative career. But best of all, I have inner peace.