Great question...
For me, alcoholic thinking is basically the "isms" of alcholism. It can be something as obvious as the belief that alcohol and drugs can somehow make everything in my life better, or that it is going to be a solution to my problems. And, for me, it can be even deeper than the obvious. It can be any type of negativity I can create in my head that is of a self centered nature. For example, if only I had a boyfriend my life would be better. Again, here I would be trying to use an external thing for an inside problem. Another for me is self pity. Poor me, I don't feel well. Poor me, no one is helping me (except I'm at home isolating and haven't called anyone to talk to). Then, the next thing I'm thinking is "Pour me another drink." Another negative thinking pattern I can get consumed with is being ungrateful; focusing on what I don't have rather than counting my blessings. That way of thinking is going to get me drunk, if I stay in it long enough. One more I can think of right now is resentments. Resentments are like drinking poison and waiting for someone else to die. So someone did something terrible to you. It hurts. Understandable. But to hate that person and let that negative energy fester is only hurting you. That other person probably doesn't think twice about you. Why let them have free rental space in your head? Usually if someone does something I feel is disrespectful I pray for them based on the idea that they, too, are mentally sick and lack general compassion for other human beings. By praying, I'm putting hope in my mind for them that they may get better. A postive thought rather than revenge... It's really that alcholics are self centered by nature; and without recovery that's the way we continue to think. Another quick example is, if a friend suddenly stops calling you to get coffee, we immediately think "What did I do?" When usually, it has nothing to do with us at all. We immediately think of ourselves rather than the idea that the other person might be busy, going through a tough time, or w/e.
To sum it up, drinking and drugging is but a symptom of our problem. For me, once I took away the alcohol and drugs I was sober; but what remained was a thinking problem that could only be worked on by working the twelve steps, praying, and attending speaker and open discussion meetings. I always thought that who I was, was who I was going to be for the rest of my life. I thought it was just my personality and that nothing could ever change me. I was the most negative person in the world. I never thought I could change. But I have, and today, I feel at peace and my life is amazing. I have so much gratitude and love life and being sober. Now, I'm still an alcholic and I still get caught up in that thinking trap from time to time. But today, I have a solution and am way more aware of it when it begins. And I know where to take it; to a meeting or other recovering alcoholics.
Hope that helps and wasn't too confusing.
Anna