Alcoholism affects people in many different shapes and forms and for many different reasons. Pain is relative.
For example, I have never been someone who wakes up in the morning and starts drinking. I kept my drinking to the evenings. To some it would appear as if my drinking isn't "that bad".
Yet here I am attempting to quit for god knows what time. And it's tough. This time around I am finding it much easier than previously, but that doesn't mean I'm free from the battles of alcoholism.
If it were that easy I wouldn't be an alcoholic.