On this Valentine’s Day, if you are in a relationship, if you are in love, enjoy it. It is a wonderful feeling. Just don't expect it to stay the same. If you are alone, don't judge yourself and beat yourself up. Be kind and compassionate with yourself.

There are new faces, but it’s the same gleaming oak bar, maybe even the same comfy stools. Just one – after five years of sobriety and the month he’s had, surely just one drink ... it’s the holidays, after all. One mug of cheer to lift the spirits ...

Here it was early April and I was worried about Christmas that year – and I was just 10 days sober. I was asking myself: What was I thinking when I made the decision to quit drinking? Was I in my right mind, could/would I stick to that commitment? Was my drinking really that bad? Entertaining these questions, I honestly felt I had gone insane.