i want to get to the discussion that followed. the first person to share did so because she wanted to clear her mind of some dark thoughts that had taken hold. she had been away for a week or so, and there was some stress involved in the trip. she got home and quickly had to dive into the holiday weekend, which also involved a birthday celebration. out to dinner last evening, she was overcome by a powerful craving for alcohol the likes of which she had not experienced for at least two years. it was strong enough that it made her cry, which in turn made her feel self-pity: 