The meetings give you good advice not only for alcoholism. The meetings give good working skills for *anyone* with a dysfunctional personality.
What I learned from AlAnon and from these boards and from a couple of therapists helped me first in my marriage, then in my place of work with one particular person who has some serious issues, THEN finally with my parents.
I actually think a tremendous number of people - be they associated with alcoholics or not - could benefit from a few AlAnon meetings.
I do understand that you're seeing it as making the situation permanent if you go to the meetings. But if you think about it, you're not. You're making changes in YOU, not in her. You can't change her at all, you're not that powerful. But you can change how you view yourself within your world - whether it be with your mother or other people around you. Many of the skills they teach are also quite useful in the business world, particularly if you're in a customer service position (either low end, like waitressing, or high end like corporate sales).
Hopefully this helps with your fear of 'making it permanent'. Learning skills does not make a situation permanent, it simply gives you more tools to get through life with. The bigger your toolbox, the more likely you are to be happy.