Hi Busy,
I came from an alcoholic family too and I tried with all my effort to be as different from them as I could be and, quite suddenly at about 45 years old, I started drinking and kept drinking for 3 years. I couldn't stop. I was devastated to realize what I had done to myself.
And, no you absolutely do not have to drink every day to be an alcoholic, it's about what the alcohol does to you when you drink. Take a look around the site, there's lots of information.
Anna