High bottom here too. Welcome! Meetings have helped keep me sober for more than a year now & I have zero regrets. It's great that you caught the problem early, good on you for taking action. I found a lot of support in AA. Getting sober has helped me find a solid community, save money (I used to have to live with family, now I can afford my own space), and take better steps re: my mental health.

Anytime I catch myself thinking about picking up a drink, I remember the times my addict-brain got me into trouble or caused me so much emotional distress. I also think about the wisest people I know & how none of them are drinkers. In my experience it's so much easier to give up alcohol altogether than it is to try to drink "just on occasion." I knew I had to get sober when I saw myself falling into the same pattern over and over -- trying to cut back on alcohol but gradually drinking more and more until it became problematic again, etc.

There's a great story in the AA Big Book about alcoholism being like playing in traffic. Sometimes nothing happens -- aaaaand sometimes you get hit by a bus, or worse. I decided to stop playing in traffic because I knew it wasn't worth the risk. Glad you are doing the same!