Originally Posted by
Nonsensical 
Other recovery programs seem to 'treat' these underlying triggers/excuses. They strive to make the addict more effective at dealing with emotional issues that are not otherwise being effectively dealt with. I can definitely see how that is beneficial for some addicts.
I don't consider myself to be in this category. I don't have any uncommon emotional stresses in my life. I've never been a victim of anything horrendous. I still have my job, my home, my family and my health. I didn't have much excuse to drink. I just did. Just NOT drinking is sufficient for me, for now.
Beautifully said.
Originally Posted by Nonsensical
All that said, I will probably attend a meeting from time to time. I can see me being a 'blender'. I find it useful and uplifting to be in a room with others who have (a beast with) a maladaptive appetite for alcohol. I went to a meeting last Friday and a drunk man near tears admitted he wanted to stop drinking, but had no idea how. At the end of the meeting he traded the half bottle of wine he had in his coat for a white chip. It was a beautiful thing to have witnessed.
I think it important here, and along with the point raised by Nands, that viewing AA members as others who have a 'Beast' is okay, as long as we also respect that most of those same members
do not see themselves as having anything like a Beast within, and they are not wrong in their choices. To not choose to "see both" Beast and alcoholism as real choices to their respective owners, is to be on the slippery slope as spoken about I would suggest.
Some people can't see both as choices made, and for those folk, they indeed would have a problem with being authentic, IMO.
Yes indeed, an important discussion. I'm also not now saying you don't see both choices, Nonsensical.