Identifying as an alcoholic or gambling addict or drug addict etc, is no different than saying "I'm a diabetic". It's the label of a chronic disease. Applying that label to self is about acceptance of that as a fact of life that you can then work with. If you've ever been unfortunate enough to see e.g. a diabetic who did not accept the reality of their illness - it's not pretty. Acceptance is the price of vigilance.
I also believe you've misunderstood how we view ourselves (and each other) when we fall of the wagon/bust/slip. I'm not a "sober person who made a mistake". I'm an addict who made a mistake.
Most of us in 12-step programs have tried psychology (and counselling and hypnotherapy and...) before the despair was enough that we'd admit defeat and join *A. Admittedly, there's a cohort of people mandated to turn up. It should surprise no one that this cohort sees very high rates of recidivism. But I'd suspect the same to be the case for people mandated to attend psychotherapy. If you don't want to change, nothing can make you.
Pharmaceuticals are interesting. I believe that LSD has been trialled to help those with substance addictions but I'm not sure of the state of research regarding behavioural addictions.
Fundamentally though, the evidence is pretty clear that there's a neurological basis to most addictions including the behavioural ones. e.g. check the research of Mira Fauth-Buhler.
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Mira-Fauth-Buehler
I also believe you've misunderstood how we view ourselves (and each other) when we fall of the wagon/bust/slip. I'm not a "sober person who made a mistake". I'm an addict who made a mistake.
Most of us in 12-step programs have tried psychology (and counselling and hypnotherapy and...) before the despair was enough that we'd admit defeat and join *A. Admittedly, there's a cohort of people mandated to turn up. It should surprise no one that this cohort sees very high rates of recidivism. But I'd suspect the same to be the case for people mandated to attend psychotherapy. If you don't want to change, nothing can make you.
Pharmaceuticals are interesting. I believe that LSD has been trialled to help those with substance addictions but I'm not sure of the state of research regarding behavioural addictions.
Fundamentally though, the evidence is pretty clear that there's a neurological basis to most addictions including the behavioural ones. e.g. check the research of Mira Fauth-Buhler.
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Mira-Fauth-Buehler