I'm not sure I agree with those stages, actually...if I went by those descriptions, I made it past stage one on only maybe three occasions.
But alcohol was affecting my sleep, my health, my relationships, my emotional state, my weight, my memory, etc. etc. I am far better off without it.
I wasted too many years looking for the loophole where I didn't have to quit entirely. If I went by this staging system, I'd still be drinking.