November 14, 2010:

Sober four weeks, and almost immediately she's found work, lost weight, gained focus and direction.

Her longest self-enforced sobriety in years. She's rightly proud, and her optimism sparkles.

The trigger for this sudden determination? Social embarrassment. Out with a group of new friends she drank without control, blacked out, tripped and fell on her face, becoming an object of concern and consternation to the group, a center of attention she found mortifying. Socialization as force for good.

Maybe this could have been made to happen earlier. You could have shot video of her violence during blackouts. Would she have agreed to watch?