Terminally Unique

If one defines alcoholism as alcohol dependence, then yes, since I was indeed dependent. By the AA definition, I would have been a hard drinker, since I do have an effective mental defense against that first drink. This wasn't always the case, but it is now.

Recovery is defined as secure, permanent abstinence. How long it takes to get to that point depends on the person, I suppose.

There is no spiritual awakening per se, but AVRT certainly liberates the human spirit.

AVRT forces a breakdown of the addictive mentality. To use some psychological lingo, it splits the ego in two — the human part, and the addict part. The 'obsession' is essentially arrested once this split occurs. The desire itself ('the Beast') is not removed, however, so much as it is neutralized. That SOB is still in there, to be sure, but its ability to compel me to do anything is nonexistent. For a good analogy, you can think of a gun with the firing pin removed.

If by 'alcoholic' you mean the medical definition (ie., physical dependence), and not the AA definition, then yes, I once did. I consider myself permanently recovered from alcohol addiction at this point, since I am securely abstinent. I see alcohol every day, and have it within easy reach, but there is no conceivable 'trigger' that could get me to drink.

I need only recognize the Addictive Voice, and it is neutralized. In the beginning, I used to have to consciously execute the separation, but it is a reflex now, almost like muscle memory when driving a car. The AV doesn't pipe up very often these days, but I do get a lot of recognition practice on these forums, quite literally more in an hour than I would in a month otherwise.

Hope that helps.