I am not sure about this "real recovery". I have been clean for almost 9years. My drug of choice was heroin but I would use anything and everything available. I could never just use a little bit of heroin I don't really think it's that type of drug. I mean you catch a habit and then have to have it to keep from being ill. Now alcohol may be different for some I can't speak on that because I never really cared for alcohol. For me abstinence is the only way to keep me off of heroin.