Belle - so glad you are here! I, too, have the those justifications, "Well, I'm not that bad." The things is, I just keep lowering the standard of what I am comparing myself to.
"Well, at least I don't drink and drive." Then, "Well at least I don't drink everyday." Then, "At least I don't drink all day."
The reality is that alcoholism is progressive. My sponsor reminds me anytime I hear someone who has a "lower bottom" than I do, I can think, "That's not me, YET." And he says "YET stands for 'You're Eligible To'".
I'm following a case here where I live. A 30 year old elementary school teacher drove drunk on 12-27-14 and killed a 66 year old woman. That's my sobriety date and that could have easily been me.
We don't have to ride the elevator all the way down. And there is no guarantee that we will make it out alive if we take that gamble.
Glad we are here doing the deal together!