First....please remember there are stages of alcoholism.
I'm guessing you are picturing the down and out
homeless jobless as typical.
Not at all...before that happens ...they slid downhill step by step.
The drinking I did in my 30's gave me no problems....
totally turned around on me in my 40's.
I still had all the external measures of success ..they had
come to mean nothing to me.
Of course...I too did not find all the info in 'Under" applied to me.
I specifically related to why I continued to drink...when I wanted
to stop.
That's the part I really wanted you to see...
The term "real alcoholic" only appears once ...to my knowledge
in the AA text book....Alcoholics Anonymous"
since you are not planning to use AA.....I suggest you forget it.
All my best