Welcome Gary!
My drinking was a slow burn, with bad binges and long relatively sober periods. In my early 40s I got a roommate who was an alcoholic. I followed him down that road and it got very bad for me.
Finally I made him leave, as I'd had the place first. He was dead within two years.
Took me 5 years after that to get sober.
Anyhow, it only gets worse, so you're very lucky to be stopping so young.
Merry Christmas!