Honestly, I had never dated an alcoholic until my husband. We met when I was 26 and had plenty of previous relationships... none of which included substance abuse.
And I can tell you... there will always be "stuff" to deal with. There is no such thing as perfect... but that being said, without alcohol/drugs in the nix, you can actually work on the other emotional stuff.
Arguing with alcohol is frustrating and unproductive.