Here's an irony for you. Shadow work is the essence of Step 4 of any 12 step program.

Along the lines of your thesis that alcohol can aid shadow work, I have take the position that 12 step programs should not require abstinence, which by the way, the orginal literature does not require. If you're interested, see my https://marcus17043.medium.com/efficacy-of-12-step-programs-for-addiction-treatment-c111fbffc10a