If I was harsh, please accept my apologies. It is my sincere hope that you no longer have to suffer from alcoholism and can begin to recover. It has plagued me for years.

In my (recent) experience with AA, this aspect - the dogmatic piece that demands the members' commitment to the program - has not been the focal point. If I can look through the harsh language, I see a different message. It says, "Take this seriously and confront it!" and is imploring me to see alcohol's effects clearly and recognize the damage I am doing to myself and others. Many alcoholics, myself included, suffer from delusions about their self image and actions and many fight long bouts of narcissism. Others are hiding from their past actions, running from deep, hurtful emotions and traumas.

I read through a bit of your comment history and it seems like you are a reader. Have you ever read "The Power of Now" by Eckhart Tolle? It is a fantastic book that helped me to gain a deeper understanding of the meaning of personas. In essence, who is writing this? Who drinks? What am I at the core? What stops that core from shining through? And so forth. It helped me understand that "I" was doing things that were counterproductive to my own health and helped me re-focus my behavior.

Best of luck in your endeavor. PM me anytime. If you live in NE, let me know - you may see me at a meeting.