Welcome,
Phil I think you'll find many different people here that are so willing to support and give you our own experiences. I at one point was exactly where you are now. Able to drink only at night (and not even every night) to relax after a hard shift at the hospital but it is a very slippery slope. I'll tell you I wish I had realized my problem before I became " as bad as others" and crossed over the invisible line of "gone to far".
Look forward to hearing more from you!