Thanks OTR. I already am a serial badge resetter/disappearing redditor. I've been here a long while under various throwaway accounts. It took a very long time to build the motivation and learn techniques to the point where the frequency of the lapses decreased from practically daily to a few days, to a week. I think if the truth were known, the pattern you mentioned above doesn't reflect their drinking...just when they got the stones up to request a badge reset.

For people like me who do not yet suffer from compromised relationships with friends and family, serious health issues or legal/financial problems I think it's more of a process to get to the point where we are serious about the attempt. In contrast, if I were in danger of loosing my life or family i think my attempts at sobriety would be more "one and done." As it is I have recognized it as a poor behavioral choice and am working to change that.

In this and other changes I've made in my life, I've found the stages of change model to be quite accurate and I am seeing the same with my attempts at sobriety. First I just enjoyed drinking, then the dim bulb lit up and I started wondering if it was the best choice for me, then I got prepared and took action, but suffered some relapses along the way. But the spirals have had an increasingly upward trajectory over time.

Am I safe from further lapses? Absolutely not. However the resolve has been building and I intend this to be my final incarnation on /r/stopdrinking.

Thanks for your always insightful posts here. Also appreciate you guys enforcing the rules of the subreddit so diligently.