I am the spouse of an alcoholic, so FFA is my primary place here, but I also stop into the Alcoholism section and Newcomers for the perspective they provide.
As you all said, it's helpful to get the view from the other side, once you feel you have enough stability to look aside from your own path a little bit sometimes.
There is much that I will NEVER understand, not being an alcoholic, but as the OP mentioned, it helps to know that my A is not unique, that he is going thru the same struggles, failures and successes as other A's, the same way I see in FFA that I'm not alone in my highs and lows, either.
This site has been absolutely invaluable to me, and I am everlastingly grateful to all who post here.