Thanks for posting this. Hope is often another name for denial and rationalization, characteristics shared by both the alcoholic and codependent. You've obviously learned a great deal and I appreciate your balanced approached. You pointed out something important -- getting sober doesn't turn a drunk into a prince. There's a saying I've heard in the rooms of AA: if you take the alcohol away from a drunken horse thief you have a horse thief. Addiction is a mental illness and some people do turn their lives around after a lot of hard work. It takes honesty and willingness to go to any lengths to stay sober and change the way we think.
Again, thanks!