Whether or not it's a "disease" is semantics, it depends how you define disease.
I have mild tendencies towards alcoholism myself. If it wasn't going to do me any damage, I'd probably drink a bottle of wine every night. When I start drinking I find it difficult to stop, so I tend not to start most days.
If I felt I had a problem bad enough to require more serious action, I'd go with the
Rational Recovery approach rather than AA. As they say there:
[ QUOTE ]
• Addiction recovery is not a group project; it is an individual responsibility. You are ultimately on your own.
• There are no Rational Recovery groups anywhere in the world! Your desire for “support” is nothing more, and nothing less, than a plan to get loaded in the absence of support.
• Stay away from recovery groups of all kinds; you can’t possibly recover there. They’ll never let you go, and you’ll be “in recovery” forever.
[/ QUOTE ]
Paul Phillips talks about it
here. The way he describes his drinking sounds similar to me.