I'm coming late into this discussion but I wanted to add that yes, I do believe that alcoholism is a disease. This is discussed in the Big Book, not scientific I know, but I started a study of my own about it after reading about it there.
I believe it is a disease of the body and the mind. One that can be arrested but never cured. No more than my addiction to people, places, and things can be cured. I'm no better (or worse), at the end of the day, than anyone else with any other addiction.