Read the books "Under the Influence" & "Beyond the Influence" in at least one of them maybe both they mention a study on children of alcoholics and non alcoholics.
In the study they gave a very small dosage of alcohol to both the children of both groups, the majority of the children who's parents were alcoholics the vast majority of their livers processed the alcohol like an alcoholic, the same test was done on the children of non alcoholic parents the vast majority of their livers processed the alcohol like a normal persons.
Now what conclusion does that lead one to?
Okay in regards to an alcoholic using it being a disease as an excuse for thier behaviour, I am an alcoholic and I do not use it as an excuse for anything I did while I was drinking or now! In AA even though we learn it is a disease, we also learn that we are responsible for every wrong both past and present and we are if at all possible to make amends for our wrongs past and present.
I will not knock any type of treatment program, conventional or non conventional, as a matter of fact both of the founders of AA continued to research other means to deal with alcoholism right up until thier deaths.
The only thing I object to is when one type of treatment program throws stones at another, especially when they hope to make a profit off of thier mud slinging.
Another side note, AA has brought more alcoholics to recovery then all other programs in history combined. Is AA the only way? Heck no, that is even stated in the book Alcoholics Anonymous.