Ok I think I'm an alcoholic but I try not to personalize it. I've lived with labels from medical diagnoses all my life etc, impacting my identity. But first and foremost I'm a human being and creation of God and I try never to forget that.
I use the term for clarity's sake, even though my own counselor seemed to shirk from it. As for the public image of an alcoholic and the shame associated with it, stemming from stereotype... alcoholism and addiction doesn't discriminate, it can affect anyone from all walks of life, all levels of intelligence or place in society, as many well noted people have demonstrated.