Just as many alcoholics are misdiagnosed with mental illness, the opposite is also possible. There are many non alcoholics in AA these days. Sent by the courts or referred by other means because someone thinks their behaviour is unacceptable.
Many of those I went to school with went through a phase where they exhibited what could be called alcoholic behaviour. They grew out of it . They didn't have the problems I had. They went on to have normal happy lives while I continued to the bottom of the alcoholic pit.
If you are not an alcoholic, of course you can stop or moderate any time you like. Fine with me.
But if you are a real alcoholic you might end up like Dave, not his real name. I met Dave in the intensive care unit. He had bee there three months with no visitors. He could not speak due to intubation, he could only move one arm a bit, he looked about twenty years older than me although he was two years younger. His sister sent me a photo of him before the accident. Hew was unrecognisable. Dave's spirits were low.
I visited him over the course of two or three weeks. It turns out Dave's story was similar to the OP. He had been sober 17 years. He stopped going to AA thinking he knew enough to stay sober on his own account. He did not buy the God business in fact he told me god could go f... Himself. He had a big ole resentment against God and AA.
He got drunk. More than once, then he drove his car over a bank. Broke his neck, and suffered a head injury. He was moved to my town due to the neck injury. No one visited him in his home town. While in the spinal unit he contracted a lung infection which is what placed him in the ICU. Can you imagine the misery he went through. Three months confined, wanting to drink but unable to. Alcoholic hell on earth.
Our group tried to lift his spirits and the ICU specialist rang me to say he was amazed at the positive effect our efforts had on him. But sadly it wasn't enough to beat the infection.
The day came when he was disconnected from the machines. The ICU called me to be with him for his last moments. I have sat with dying people before and I have always been amazed at the strength and serenity their faith gave them. There was no fear, just peace.
This was the first time I sat with someone who categorically rejected God. I'll never forget the fear in his eyes, the plea in his look, for me to intervene and stop the doctors from disconnecting him as he realised what was happening. Then the morphine took effect. I can't say he went peacefully, the nurse said he fought hard.
The really sad thing is that his death was not attributed to alcohol. Instead the case was put down as four factors. Broken neck, thrombosis, head injury and lung infection.
I really don't know why he drank. Was it because he thought he could moderate, or was it because he couldn't swallow the God idea?