I fall more into the camp of "these kinds of interactions teach us valuable things about ourselves."
I know that I tend to isolate as things get worse. I know that over time, I have begun to accept certain things as "normal," when in fact they are totally ABNORMAL (or at the very least, unacceptable to me). Being abused emotionally, being starved for attention and affection and connection does funny things to our self-image, and sometimes it takes a two hour conversation with someone who isn't insane from alcoholism to snap us out of our complacency, our self-imposed isolation, and our acceptance of things we wouldn't normally accept in our right minds.
And when you see the interaction as something that helps you shake off some of your own dysfunction, that's a good thing! I know that you are not looking to cheat on your AH, or to start an emotional affair. I know that you will dial all of this back appropriately. But don't lose sight of the fact that you have been reminded of what a healthy interaction feels like. Don't let the drudgery of life with an active A rob you of those feelings, because you are a WONDERFUL person who deserves all of those things. Only you, as you work on yourself and progress through your recovery, can do the cost-benefit analysis of staying versus leaving.
((HUGS)) my friend!