I have been referring to addiction as my monster and I view my sobriety as the box I’ve locked the monster in. This is a simplistic analogy, but I’m a simple guy. The monster is aware that I have the key to the lock and it understands my language and thought processes, so it’s determined to throw cravings at me or lure me closer to the box. The monster HATES being imprisoned (During the first year sober the monster is throwing a temper tantrum, kicking, biting and screaming!) and it’s collected all the tools it can to convince me that unlocking the box is ok. The longer this beast is locked up, the weaker it gets, but for me, as an alcoholic with moderate drinking completely off the table, the monster will never die as long as I’m alive. It took years for me to accept this. (The box can be unlocked anytime) The best I can do is give it a life sentence and hold the key at a safe distance. I have unlocked the box more than once and the monster has unleashed a merciless parkinglot beating every time, demonstrating that once it gets let back out, it’s not only recovered from its weakness, but has actually grown more dangerous and lethal. I tried to condense this to a sentence or two, but my writing skills are unpolished! All apologies.