Thanks, Philly, for the background. I could relate to a lot of what you said. Like you, I have wondered whether I am a "problem", vs a "real"...but have come to the conclusion that it doesn't really matter: I am way happier, much more "settled" and if I'm wrong? Well, it's just not worth it to go there. So, you are right on, in my book. I have a family gene pool, as well, that gives me a better chance of alcoholism than of brown eyes! But like you, I drank socially for many years. It took the perfect storm of our 2 girls in adolescence and the deaths of my mother and both my in laws to push me over the "edge". And like you, when everyone said, you are drinking too much, I started to hide it....
Oh, and one other possible connection between us...I grew up outside Philadelphia and the culture there, growing up, was drink, drink drink. My parents would always have cocktails...in fact I'm not sure if I recall any adults who didn't drink daily.