Lizatola-
I struggled not with the disease model but with the binge drinking for a long time and the "definition" of alcoholism vs problem drinking.
I finally realized it did not matter which one he was living with, because I was walking on eggshells all of the time around his drinking....and that right there tells me all I need to know.
It took me a long time to act on that, but looking back that is what is important. I was deeply uncomfortable with the drinking and the impact of me with the drinking. I did not need to know anything else (except he did not want to stop).