Ciderguy: First, let me say, you are a phenomenal writer. You should really consider doing a blog or something like that, if you aren't already.
Thank you for all of the insight into the CBT stuff. I still haven't started it, so I don't know what it's like first hand, but what you've said will help me remember to look at it a little more critically rather than just blindly doing the worksheets without really thinking about it (from what it sounds like, it doesn't work if I don't think about it anyhow).
I agree with you 100% about AA. I am a former alcoholic, not a current one, and I think it's insulting to insinuate to people that they cannot recover or that they have no control over their actions. I even still drink, albeit rarely, and I don't over-indulge.
I sincerely hope you're wrong about CBT, because I'd really like for it to work for me, but I am definitely taking what you say into some consideration going into it.