I've really never liked the "bottom" concept either. IMHO, I think it gives the layperson the idea that the addict/alcoholic has to lose everything in order to want to get better. I think to the addict/alcoholic it could provide the fuel to continue bad decisions, "well I haven't hit bottom yet so I must not be ready." Not to be too new age but the addict/alcoholic may be over focusing on the bottom and are often driven toward that focus.
I know I was still choosing to drink when the circumstances in my life were much much worse than they are now. After things got a lot better for me, I decided enough was enough.
One things for sure, everyone is different when it comes to stopping and how they "got stopped" and "stayed stopped."
I think CarolD mentioned this the first time I heard it and I paraphrase, "you have to want sobriety more than you want to drink."