My ABF is/was very open about his alcoholism and drinking. Never made a single attempt to hide it, always said it was a problem. Did not lie about it, ever. Never made a single promise to quit. He did say that he was very scared of detox, but he did it.
He's now got 3 months sobriety and is attending meetings. From what I've read, he's a bit of an outlier, but I mustn't let myself think that he's any different from any other alcoholic.