There was some talk in the thread about a spiritual solution. The following passage from the book Alcoholics Anonymous tells of the experience of a wealthy American who had been under the care of the famous doctor Carl Jung. It is worth noting that Jung's work still forms a major component in modern psychology today. This event occurred sometime before the formation of Alcoholics Anonynous. In one sense it shows Jung was aware of a spiritual solution, though at that itme, it was very rare. In another, his advice to his patient proved not only successful, but the idea later became the inspiration for the AA program, along with William James' work.
*My bolds and brackets.
"Some of our alcoholic readers may think they can do without spiritual help. Let us tell you the rest of the conversation our friend had with his doctor (Carl Jung).
The doctor said: "You have the mind of a chronic alcoholic. I have never seen one single case recover, where that state of mind existed to the extent that it does in you." Our friend felt as though the gates of hell had closed on him with a clang.
He said to the doctor, "Is there no exception?"
"Yes," replied the doctor, "there is. Exceptions to cases such as yours have been occurring since early times. Here and there, once in a while, alcoholics have had what are called vital spiritual experiences. To me these occurrences are phenomena. They appear to be in the nature of huge emotional displacements and rearrangements. Ideas, emotions, and attitudes which were once the guiding forces of the lives of these men are suddenly cast to one side, and a completely new set of conceptions and motives begin to dominate them. In fact, I have been trying to produce some such emotional rearrangement within you. With many individuals the methods which I employed are successful, but I have never been successful with an alcoholic of your description."
Upon hearing this, our friend was somewhat relieved, for he reflected that, after all, he was a good church member. This hope, however, was destroyed by the doctor's telling him that while his religious convictions were very good, in his case they did not spell the necessary vital spiritual experience. Here was the terrible dilemma in which our friend found himself when he had the extraordinary experience, which as we have already told you, made him a free man. "
It seems clear from Jung's statements that his methods worked with many problem drinkers, but there were some extreme cases with which his methods failed completely. This is the crowd I belong to and to whom Daytrader was referring who require some sort of spiritual experience to ame a worthwhile recovery, or even any recovery at all.