The thing is that 1 in 3 people will develop a drinking problem in their lifetime and nearly all of those people won't seek treatment. There are degrees of problem drinking and alcoholism. One thing I don't care for about AA is that it seeks to cast everyone as "once an alcoholic always an alcoholic". That may be true for a certain percentage of people (like me) but if you are just a heavy drinker, it is possible to cut back and to moderate yourself.

Most alcoholics and problem drinkers don't drink themselves to death and many of the "1 in 3" stat go on to cut back and fix their issues.

If you think you have a problem. Count out how much you're drinking. It depends on the guide you are using. US guidelines say about 2 drinks a day is healthy. European guidelines can go as high as 3.

If you exceed 3 drinks a day on average you are beginning to do damage. If you are consistently drinking above that line, you ARE doing damage.

The good news is that unless you have been drinking for years and years, it is possible to halt and reverse the damage you have done.