If reveling in the AA thing, as you put it, is what keeps them from drinking, then who are you to say that it's not OK. We all do what we must and some people have different struggles that you would not understand.
I've been mulling this over. I was ranting last night, and figured I would be calm enough to agree with this after a good night's sleep. But I don't.
Sure, if someone is supporting himself financially, doesn't have loved ones depending on him, then sure, let him spend all his free time talking about himself and his addiction and his recovery and whatever else. Let him attend AA meetings every night. Let him do that for the rest of his life. It's less of a public nuisance than drinking.
But many of these same people will insist it's a "family disease;" therefore the spouse goes to Al-Anon, the kids go to Ala-Teen or whatever else. And beyond the family: neighbors are freaked out, the police waste time on him, his co-workers have to cover for him whenever he has the "flu" or has to take "medical leave."
So in that latter case? Six months. As far as I'm concerned he should get exactly six months of the detox, the frequent meetings, the coddling and the wallowing and the crying.
Then after six months and one day the whole family gets on with their lives. Life's too short for that nonsense.
If after six months the person still can't grasp the concept that their kids, their spouse, community are more important than their need to drink? Then they just need to row themselves out to an island with several cases of gin and drink themselves to death.