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I am absolutely, positively not trying to downplay the OP's situation, but if someone can just wake up and say "Eh, I'm doing this too much" and then not touch it for a week, were they really an alcoholic?

ETA: Again I am not downplaying the severity, and I admit I'm completely ignorant on the topic.

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Depends on what happens after that week

Shootindave is correct about drinking like a "normal" person.

One anecdote I heard is: if you're at a restaurant, and you notice a person gets up to leave but left 1/3 of their beer unfinished, and it confounds you, you're probably an alcoholic.

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I definitely get that, but I would never leave 1/3rd of a beer unfinished because I paid for it, and I don't even drink

I guess my point is that does enjoying something to the point of excess have to mean there's an "ism" involved? I'm not saying it's healthy (as it's definitely not,) but there's all sorts of things and hobbies I engage in well beyond what I probably should (both in time and money,) but I'm not addicted to those things.

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Edited while you replied -

alcoholism is more about the habits and effects surrounding the drinking than the drinking itself.

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I am absolutely, positively not trying to downplay the OP's situation, but if someone can just wake up and say "Eh, I'm doing this too much" and then not touch it for a week, were they really an alcoholic?

ETA: Again I am not downplaying the severity, and I admit I'm completely ignorant on the topic.

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Simply put an alcoholic, upon having one drink, wants or craves more. Like a switch in the brain that screams MORE!  More always leads to drunk. That’s why alcoholics really shouldn’t have that first drink. The saying is 1 is too many and 20 isn’t enough.

I know if I have 1 drink, I’ll have however many more it takes to make me feel real good. Be it 10 or 20 or more. So I don’t have that first drink. Because I know what will happen if I do.

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I definitely get that, but I would never leave 1/3rd of a beer unfinished because I paid for it, and I don't even drink

I guess my point is that does enjoying something to the point of excess have to mean there's an "ism" involved? I'm not saying it's healthy (as it's definitely not,) but there's all sorts of things and hobbies I engage in well beyond what I probably should (both in time and money,) but I'm not addicted to those things.

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I hit 100 hours of sobriety this evening.  Went to a meeting this morning.  Still staying quiet during the meetings, just soaking it all in.  Don't know when I'll be ready to share in that setting.  Found a Coke Zero replacement - Zevia soda.  Zero calories.  No artificial sweeteners or flavors.  But it's pricey ($5 a six pack, same as the Busch Light I would get at the gas station sometimes).  Then again, I don't plan on having 20 a day.  Also found a nice flavoring for water.  True Lime - no artificial flavors or sweeteners.  Much cheaper than the Zevia, but without the carbonation.  Thinking about finding some carbonated water and adding True Lime to it.  For whatever reason I need a drink substitute for the beer I was drinking, as I always had a beverage in front of me.

For anyone reading this who thinks "I need to stop drinking" or "I want to stop drinking" I was the poster child for the fully functional alcoholic and "wanted" and "needed" to quit for a long time.  When you are at the level of drinking I was at you can't schedule it, you can't coordinate it.  It has to be a decision right then and there with immediate follow through and support available.  At least that's how it was for me.  I planned and scheduled it for years.  "As soon as this project at work is done," or "as soon as we get back from vacation," or some other artificial deadline. Ultimately it happened at the most unexpected time - the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. I don't know why, I don't know how, all I know is I made a phone call, found a meeting and went.

I never in my life thought I would give a shit about a made in China (probably) plastic chip that cost a few pennies, but I'll be damned if that little white chip didn't provide me with more power, more strength, more self worth than any drink has in my life.  Probably sounds pathetic.  But it is what it is.  All weekend long we had a fridge filled with beer in the garage as we had family over for Thanksgiving.  Would have been easy for me to walk out there unnoticed and slam a few without anyone knowing.  But I would have known, and I know the cycle would start again.  That chip in my pocket, I would stick my hand in my pocket and squeeze it tight and reach in the fridge and pull out a bottle of water, or the jar of pickles, or whatever else, but not a beer.

Thanks for all the support and messages.  Day 5 in the books.

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According to Jordan Peterson, religion and LSD are the two most effective treatments for alcoholism, which is why AA has the religious component to it. I am not a religious person, but if you are not as well, and are struggling with alcoholism, consider it.

Also, read Peterson's 12 Rules for Life or listen to the audiobook. The anecdotes made me rethink how I handle things.

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Good on you!
I also hate artificial sweeteners in those little water flavoring packages.
True Lemon products are great stuff.
I also have a CO2 carbonation setup for carbonating bottles of the True Lemon flavoring - kind of like a homemade SodaStream setup.

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Update added in OP. So far so good. Not taking anything for granted though. Still a day-to-day battle.

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Inspired by another thread  Thread

UPDATE: have now made it a week. The kidney stone issue was not a kidney stone, its gallstones. Had an X-ray done that showed it. Getting an ultrasound next week. But pain has subsided. Now sober for 8 days. Gone to 5 meetings. No sponsor yet, haven't connected with anyone. Reading the AA book, seems like a biography. My attitude is still very positive, my bank account is probably $80-$100 richer. Only regret is not doing this sooner.

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Thought about this this morning. Bought a bottle of carbonated water and added some true lime to it. It was good. But the water was over $1. Soda stream may be the solution with more upfront cost but much cheaper long term.

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say goodbye to crazy

https://www.amazon.com/Say-Goodbye-Crazy-Restore-Sanity/dp/1514683814/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1544071489&sr=8-1&keywords=say+goodbye+to+crazy#customerReviews

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Two weeks down. Meeting number 9 tonight. Don’t have a sponsor yet. Not a whole lot of people in the group I would want to be my sponsor. Question for those who are in AA...can a woman be a sponsor for a man? I ask because there is one woman who seems to be a pier, meaning a working professional who doesn’t look like they have been in prison or lived under a bridge.  I say that because a lot of people who share during the open discussion time tell about their homeless or prison times. At the end of the meeting they ask who is willing to be a sponsor and she raised her hand. Just wondering if that is taboo. I’ve googled it and got mixed results. And FWIW, she is most likely a liberal judging by things I have seen and heard. But it’s not about that, it’s about how to best make me better, if that makes sense.