I have been a heavy - very heavy drinker but I was never an alcoholic, though members of my family are substance dependent, booze and or drugs. I used to think that the reason I wasn't an alcoholic was that I could never stand a hair of the dog. If I had a skin full I couldn’t even think about another beer for days.
As with smoking, some people are true addicts and some aren't. We all know people who have stopped and, after a period of recovery, never needed another fag, drink or hit ever again. We also know people who gave up years ago and still feel the need. It is a very complex thing and it isn't fair. My mate, the FatPlumber, cannot remember whole months from his teens and twenties but he has never needed a drink. He swears that his brothers are addicts but found God instead of the bottle. I wonder if he isn't right
If you need to test yourself, see how long you can go without. If, at the end of a day, you are desperate you have a problem and should take stock. Don't kid yourself by saying "I am not desperate I just want a drink." Push it a bit further.
Alcoholics don't always get pissed. They do however, need a drink.