Lyle talks about how broken he was during his using days and finding a will to get clean. "The pain of using was so great, that getting clean was going to be easier."
It was important to get clean, but then you have to continue to treat the addiction. Addiction is a thinking problem. If it was just a 'drug' problem, once you stop using it, wouldn't it be just fine? NO, you have to keep treating it, the way you think. When you stop using, that's when the game begins.