Well put Armand. I suffered a years long battle with alcohol, so we do know of what we speak. With me compulsiveness is a factor. I fully agree that dependency issues are hereditary. On the other hand, a word of caution: one cannot take for granted that "they are immune" because of no family history. We have learned that most genetic illness readily skip a generation, or many generations. So I believe that I was an alcoholic the moment I was born, and even though proudly sober, continue to be. I personally believe this is the case of all others that are genetically predisposed.
My advice to anyone who's mother and father are/were alcoholic, never touching a drink is probably the best advice that I could give. Although remember I mentioned above about generation skipping too, but (doing my best not to be a holier than thou recoverer) I can't advise everybody to never try a drink, just because out there somewhere in your family tree lurks a recessive gene of a boozer!!
Given that I fully believe I was an Alkie at birth, Just like others, it wasn't a problem for me at 15 and had my first drink. Nor was it when I started going out regular after I turned 21. In my 30s I routinely got plastered, and maintained a job, although things began to get more difficult to conceal. I reached a point where I occasionally needed sedatives for my shaking and withdrawals, and coffee for my fatigue just to continue with "business as usual". In my experience, and from my own hindsight: I think if you find yourself in the mirror saying "I think I got a problem" you are correct, but you have already recognized it too late. Not to get help, this is the perfect time! But you are too late in the sense that the phrase you said to the mirror should have come out "I got a problem." Self-recognition always comes slow.
Only on looking back I can self-diagnose the things that were happening to me that I was unaware of at the time:
I eventually began to have a very serious problem in my late 20s or early 30s, when the alcohol took the upper hand in the decision making. In my experience, and from my AA meetings and such, I've never met anyone that can put an exact date on when they lost control.. Looking back in time through my 20/20-armchair-quarterback glasses (because this was before I had my '02 Yukon Time-Dilation Device). -- The big warning sign for me wasn't that I couldn't abstain if necessary. I could, although not for an extended length of time, but mine was specifically: I lost that ability to have that "just one more."
I would rationalize that A 30 pack seemed like it wasn't a big deal, so long as i spread it over the entire day. That psychology didn't work either. What had happened to me, was somewhere along the line, I had lost my "off' swich. I drank until i was too tired to have another, or it could no longer be obtained, regardless of my constant pre-planning.
I like Thfttt. And a Swedish word my Great Aunt Gerta used.