There are a lot of former serious addicts who got clean and stay clean for decades and the rest of their lives. Some have to join communities like AA or NA. Others manage on their own and/or with the support of a therapist. Then there are some people who weren't bona fide addicts in the first place. People who only self-medicated mental health problems, but then once they were properly stabilized and learned healthier coping skills, lost the extreme desire for the abusive substance. Some people who still have the tendency to "self-medicate" maybe exchanged one type for another. This latter case is something that I think should be avoided, but then again there are the "lesser of the evils" type substitutions.

Not sure if you are a bona fide addict (or former one) or problematic self-medicater. Doesn't necessarily matter a lot, but I very much disagree that it is a lifelong struggle for all. No one should give up, thinking it will be. For me, the struggle eased. Heck, I must have attended over 1,000 AA meetings in the past, and went through detox/rehab in the hospital once and through dual diagnosis programs three times. For the first years, I struggled now and then with BAD "slips". Now getting drunk is nothing I care to do anymore. I did have my bottom, though not as bad as many others'. No need to try to have a really severe one.