For me the William Porter book "alcohol explained" was the best breakdown.
I was a binge drinker so I used to reason I wasn't an alcoholic because I went days, weeks and even months between drinks. I also kept a good job, a relationship and all that. Plus I used to reason that I drank in cool bars with my friends, was generous with my booze spending etc so I wasn't an alcoholic
But I developed a serious problem. I'd end up drinking for days and then in my remorseful hangover I'd swear I was going to go sober. Porters book explains this cycle he calls "fading affect bias" in which we bounce back and eventually forget our pain and think this time we will control our drinking. Related to that he explains euphoric recall, urges, anxiety and depression and many other topics.
I thought I was a unique drinker with unique responses to alcohol until I read that book and realized I was in a condition that easily described and how it would progress if I continued. And how things would change if I stopped.