According to physicians I've spoken with there is a clinical difference between alcohol abuse, alcohol dependence and alcoholism. However, there is often overlap, particularly because people with alcoholism are usually alcohol dependent and alcohol abusers, but not vice versa. Someone who abuses alcohol or is dependent on alcohol is not necessarily an alcoholic. But, abusing alcohol commonly leads to dependence. The criteria for alcoholism is very specific. However, either way, if you drink in excess on a regular basis, meaning, if you drink more than 2 alcoholic beverages on a regular basis, it can cause adverse health effects, sometimes without you even knowing it. And it may be considered abuse.
I am not considered an alcoholic but ever since college I've been drinking in excess with my friends on weekends. I would have 5 to 10 drinks, typically martini's every Friday and Saturday and didn't realize that amount is considered "binging," which is a form of abuse. I began developing symptoms that I did not realize were related to alcohol such as anxiety and panic attacks. After doing a bit of in-depth research I realized that alcohol was responsible for all of these seemingly unrelated issues AND I learned how unhealthy excess alcohol actually is to the brain and body.
Because I now have such a high tolerance, deciding to "cut back" is not an option because frankly one or two drinks does NOTHING for me. I know that if I'm out with friends having a "good time" and wanting to feel even the slightest buzz, I need at least 3 or 4 martini's and that is not considered healthy.
I developed deficiencies in B vitamins, particularly Thiamine, Folate and B-12 due to drinking and I had leaky gut syndrome for a while, which I believe was also due to drinking. Alcohol really messes up your ability to absorb water soluble vitamins and deficiencies aren't immediately recognized as you may have no symptoms until the deficiency becomes very bad.
So even though I'm not an alcoholic, my regular alcohol intake was indeed damaging my body so I decided to quit. Only you can decide whether you need to quit, regardless of whether you're classified as an alcoholic or not.
I'm of the opinion now that alcohol has no benefits what so ever and that all the perceived benefits are illusions, so I'm #TeamSober for life.
You might feel differently if you studied in-depth the effects of alcohol even at moderate levels. Alcohol produces free radicals, which age your body and organs. The breakdown products produce when your liver metabolizes alcohol are extremely harmful. People with even moderate alcohol intakes show a change in brain chemistry. Even moderate intakes makes you more susceptible to feelings of anxiety and less REM sleep, so you're probably not sleeping as deeply and as restfully as you could be if you abstained. The list is so long and the studies are so plentiful, complete with CAT scans to see what alcohol does to the brain. Even moderate intakes cause gastrointestinal issues, it kills the delicate villi in the intestines, which are responsible for absorbing nutrients from food. So even at moderate intakes, you are not absorbing as much nutrients from food as you could if you abstained.
No longer do I think of alcohol as something relaxing, social and enjoyable. I see it for what it is, a toxic poison that when ingested damages the body and all the body wants to do is get RID of it as quickly as possible.