Hi-I have been attending AA for about a year and a half now and have
found it of enormous help, literally saving my life and changing my
direction. However, I do agree with your take on the alcoholism
being a symptom and the "sobriety" from alcolhol being only part of
it, or a temporary cover-up. While most of the negative things i
have read about AA on the internet do not hold true in my meetings
(for example, brainwashing people into thinking AA is the only way),
I do believe that the principles hold true for pretty much anything
that I have problems with. My question for you is, HOW do you
address these childhood issues and traumatic occurences in a most
effective way. I have been to many therapists of outstanding
reputation for my specific problems, and nothing has helped at all
except trying to live the AA way of working the steps-being of
service to others.. The problems, so far that I have learned, are
never going to go away, and maintainng full-out forgiveness for such
horrid occurences is, while ideal and in alignment with AA
philosophy, very difficult to say the least. Even if you forgive,
you are still gravely affected-not knowing "how" to be the whole
person you should be. While I do agree with, and woudl like more
information about, your approach, I also don't see anything wrong
with, or negative about, living a life in which the core purpose and
key to happiness is helping others. Staying physically and mentally
sober leads to a more productive and therefore more useful and
therefore more hopeful life. So, why do we want so badly to eb able
to drink socially again? I do not know, but I do believe it is in
the underlying problem of childhood trauma as you said, and if I
knwo where to find answers to relinquishing them from my brain, I
will be there.