The way i see what it means to be alcoholic is 2 parts. First is sort of an allergy to alcohol. Once the alcoholic taste alcohol he or she can not control their consumption or actions. Not a one off where a normie goes sideways one night. I mean this is generally what happens when they consume. Many sessions can give the illusion of control though.
2nd is an obsession to drink.
I think the severity of these factors varies from alcoholic to alcoholic. I think there are different degrees of alcoholism. Some may be fine with little or no treatment. Different degrees may appear to function to some degree in everyday life over a long period of time. It would not suprise me if a drunk made it to CEO of a S&P 500 company. Some drink from the time they get up and do nothing but drink, the most severe. The CEO will have more in common with the most severe then most could imagine!
Different drunks require different treatment. From little or none to meetings everyday, service, the works.
A lot of us functiong alcoholics can be in danger. The AV can whisper to us that our alcoholism is much less severe then we think.
I would say sobriety is definitely easier then drinking. The trouble for many is that it's hard to read the label from inside the bottle. That 1st morning after taking a drink life starts getting difficult much more quickly. Right from the task of getting out of bed. It really is so much easier to just stay sober today.