Hi Liz, welcome to SR.
I, too was powerless over alcohol. I believe most of us was on this forum.
Firstly ,and for me personally, you have got to want to stop. Not because your family and friends want you to or life is falling around you. Us Addicts have to want to stop for ourselves.
I know, that's the crux, it's not that easy, so much easier to fall in that deep well of oblivion.
Your choice. To stop drinking or carry on drinking. Once you've made that decision, your first step begins.
If it's to stop drinking, that's fantastic. You're life will change from this point.
It won't be easy to begin with but if you don't drink you will not turn to it for a crutch.
From this day on , this forum can help you along with any other help you may need, your doctor, councillor.
Read some of the experiences here, it helps to know there are others going through the same problems in their lives.
I also was surprised how much drink caused most of my problems, paranoia, stress to name some and although they didn't leave me immediately I stopped the booze, I can cope so much better without it.