Steppingup it is a bond that ties us alcoholics and addicts together, even though we are each individuals with different stories, there are so many commonalities we all share that we only seem to understand, that is one reason that AA, NA and other programs combined have greater success in helping each other stay clean and sober then the highly educated & trained individuals that have never walked in our shoes and suffered the bonds of alcoholism & addiction.
The only places I feel I am truly understood is in an AA meeting and here. Things that make perfect sense to me are not understood out side of AA/NA or SR.