zen, thanks for sharing. I think it's not so much about whether one "buys into that" or not, but just being aware. You say you were set up for addiction by inappropriate parenting and abuse, and that you addressed it. Nuf said. What's done is done.
And you're right, we liked the way alcohol felt, and for me I think that's largely because I didn't particularly like or accept the way I felt without it. That's a wiring thing - environment and epigenetic. Plus, I liked to party. I large part of my initial impetus was about having a sense of adventure and wanting to have a good time. Cheap thrills.
I also agree with dw that "not putting alcohol down your throat is more than not putting alcohol down your throat." Paying attention to the AV seems largely about developing a better understanding of triggers, and making better choices as a result. Triggers can be in the immediate environment, or they can seemingly come out of nowhere, but that internal nowhere started somewhere.
I have to say, though, that "stopping the damage we do/did to our lives by not ending the addiction" IS "fixing your life." We can't fix the past, but we can come to a better understanding of it, and thus learn to be less controlled by it and our unconscious minds. We can consciously start rewiring our brains.
A really good book for those who experienced trauma and found themselves struggling with addiction or other issues (depression, anxiety, PTSD) is The Body Keeps the Score. Great read.