Acceptance isn't easy.....the trick isn't to get too hung up on words like addict or alcoholic but to move onto addressing the underlining issues that drive us to use or drink.
For me I had to go back as far as my childhood......I was abused mentally and physically by my mother and I had to come to terms with all those hurtful negative feelings.......
between AA and addiction counseling I was able to allow that inner child to grieve and heal.
Lifestyle changes meant learning to stay away from unhealthy people, places, and things.
It's hard to fly like an eagle if your surrounded by turkeys!