>>You're never truly cured and you're back to square one with
>>any setback.
>
>
>if an alcoholic that has chosen total sobriety slips and has a
>drink after 5 years of sobriety,
>they may have a complete relapse if they view that as back to
>square one.
>
>
>better is, you slipped up.
>be sober from now on.

If your goal is total sobriety, then it ended with the slip up and starts again when you renew the fight.

Anyway, I think you're inferring a defeatist tone in "You're never truly cured". This is just what I've seen expressed by some addicts struggling with sobriety... what you've expressed is how they manage to cope with that realization. Either way, an occasional indulgence is not part of their program to beat their addiction.

I wasn't thinking of all addictions though, like smoking, so YMMV.