Welcome to SR!
Yes alcoholism is progressive. And unfortunately as we age our bodies ability to handle the daily onslaught of alcohol decreases. I'm glad you didn't drink when you felt the urge.
I'm a little older that you, and I know that I could go get some alcohol and get drunk tonight and it might feel pretty good for a couple of hours. But I would feel awful in the morning so I would have a beer or two to smooth things out. I likely would alternate between drinking and trying to taper off for 3 - 4 days, and then I would feel miserable physically and mentally for another week. So if I decide to drink tonight, I'd better block off the next 2 weeks in my calendar because it would take that long for me to recover.
I can't imagine what a 6 month binge would look like. If you drink tonight, will you go off on another 6 month binge? If so, are you going to make it back? That's the question you need to consider when you think about taking that first drink.