I was approached recently by an alcoholic who had been sober for two years but suffered a major relapse in the summer. He was very depressed and expressing suicidal thoughts. His partner is struggling to provide support and they don't have the financial resources to access private care. I provided pointers to various charity-based places for mental health and addiction. He wanted nothing to do with AA. But yesterday he reported that his partner took him to his first ever meeting. He told me he "enjoyed" the experience and his "eyes were opened" as he discovered others similar to himself. How many times have we heard this?