I attended Incest suvivors anonymous (ISA) meetings for years. At those meetings participants would announce their names followed by "I'm a survivor."

That to me is more positive an affirmation than continually affirming "I'm an alcoholic."

Throughout my spiritual journey and researches I have encountered many impossible things becoming possible. I don't see that happening however if one insists on negative programming. Incurable things have become cured. Why would alcoholism or drug addiction or addictions of any sort not be cured?

Up until recently I believed that Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) was incurable. All the studies state this as fact. Then one day, as I was sitting in front of my Buddhist altar chanting, I suddenly informed the universe that I will no longer suffer from this disorder that a cure had to be found. In that moment it became inconceivable that I should have to go through my entire life with such suffering.

Within a week, I stumbled upon Ho'oponopono which led me to tapping, EFT, binaural, brain vibration techniques all combined with Ho'oponopono.

My approach to life has turned around 180 degrees, I feel my creative energies unblocking more and more each day and I am able to be present more and more. The past has loosened it's grip and the future seems full of hope.

I believe my prayer was answered when I asked for a cure. How long would the cure last if I kept telling myself and everybody, "Hey, I'm Alexis and I am an incurable PTSD patient?" PTSD is not a will-power thing either. It can be triggered at anytime. But how does affirming that over and over not create a frequency or vibration of helplessness and hopelessness?

And how does that combine with letting go and letting God? Therein lies my confusion.

I have enormous respect for those who have been able to stay clean and sober and turned their lives around. But does the pattern of self-abuse and whatnot end with the use of a substance? Or is there a spiritual cause for which there has to be a spiritual cure?

This is not to suggest that an addict should experiment with using again just to see if it can be done 'normally.' By all accounts addiction is a progressive disease. So even though you may stop using, three years down the line the disease will have continued to progress and one little sip could probably kill you.

All I'm suggesting is that if one did not keep affirming day and night that they were an addict, they could easily halt the disease and therefore its progression. I had a roommate who went ballistic when I offered up this reasoning. Was her fear of hearing this reasoning letting go and letting God?

I do agree that Ho'oponopono would be a very powerful tool in clearing away the spiritual cause of this need to believe in the progression of a disease.