I had a ton of questions when I came here, just like you do. My advice is that you should read these forums... A lot..... Thats what I did, and by seeing so many similarities that couldn't be ignored, I decided that I definitely have a drinking problem, whether I want to label myself an alcoholic or not. I knew I was following in some dangerous patterns, and decided to make some changes. I'm not perfect, but I'm far better than I was before coming here and reading.