Thank you to everyone who answered my question about alcoholism! - I know I'm not an alcoholic. I don't ever feel I *have* to have a drink, it doesn't interfere with my job or my life (other than the occassional hangover which I have to work through!) and I can go through a bout of not drinking with no problem. I'm more of a social binge-drinker, some weeks I have hardly any, other times I'm downing beers like there's no tomorrow.
Now I can make an easy comparison - because I do know some serious alcoholics. Or rather did know - one is now dead after he drank away his kidneys and liver and a transplant failed
He couldn't stop even though he knew he would die. I am nowhere near that.