Hi NewBeginnings,
No, the beast is not alcohol itself. Alcohol itself is neither good nor bad per se, nor is the desire for it. The desire is not yours, it's the beast's. The beast has but one goal and that goal will never ever change. No surprises there. The beast is nothing if not predictable. The heightened awareness you were feeling is because you kicked the beast's beehive. Hang tight. It'll calm down when it knows you're serious.
I'm suuuuper jealous btw. I would love to see STP live. I bet that was an amazing show. Damn.