I have an opinion which is a little different.
I think the
potential for alcoholism is hard wired into some individual's nervous systems. Potential. Just like for some, the potential for depression or OCD or ADHD or Bipolar, IMHO, is hard wired. Alcoholism runs in families, as does depression, ADHD, etc... Something happens in an individual's life... stress, trauma, too many parties... whatever... and the potential is realized.
My father and brother were/are recovered alcoholics... our personalities were/are very similar in many, many ways.... Nature (heredity) or Nurture (environment) or a little of both? Point is that my alcoholism is hard wired into me like my personality....mmm.... like my character traits... or .... defects
...if you will.
I don't consider my alcoholism a disease... the potential was hard wired into me... like my hair color, body type... It was potential for some time... I did not mature out of my addictive behaviors... I became addicted. Potential realized.
I did not have to live down to my potential... but I did. Why? I like alcohol... The more I drank the more I wanted to. I did not think there was a problem with that... just buy more
...
I don't think technology will ever be able to detect physical differences in potential alcoholics... because there are none, really... nothing to detect... no disease or defect... just the potential...
Besides, we diagnose our own alcoholism... Perhaps each one of should also be able to decide for ourselves if we have a disease or not.
This post was not meant to be argumentative, if it appeared that way, my apologies... Just a kinda skewed way to look at it.
Mark