[jalanb]

Actually, speaking as a former addict, I would call it simple.

Damned hard, fucking painful, betimes hopeless, ..., but the most consistent memory from my early recovery was the simplicity of the process. There really was only one thing important: stay clean.

In my own case I aimed for staying clean for 2 years. And for those two years that was not "the most important thing", it was the only thing that mattered. Other factors helped too (supportive family was next most important), but I think I would not now be clean without the simplicity of that bright line rule of 2 years.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bright-line_rule

[RickHull]

Rules may be simple, but adherence to them is not. For some, it may be impossible. Consider the first 2 rules of dating:

    1. Be attractive
    2. Don't be unattractive

The rule for winning is simply to score more points than the other team. Immortality is governed by the simple rule: Stay alive

None of these are simple processes, and it diminishes the discourse to treat them as such. I am thankful for your counterexample to my challenge, but I'm not convinced that, if asked sincerely about how you have managed your recovery from addiction, you could possibly sincerely respond: I simply grew out of it.