Main point, you know you best, but read the following with an open mind.
There is a myth about alcoholism that implies that you need to be drinking from sun-up to sundown everyday and getting DTs when you stop before you might consider yourself alcoholic.
This myth is dangerous. I know because I've toed the alcoholic waters. I don't drink now because I know I'm the sort of person who would easily become alcoholic if I kept up the habit that I engaged in from the time I was 22 until I was 25. Maybe I *am* an alcoholic, based on those years.
These were the signs that told me that I was using alcohol to medicate depression, rather than drinking for recreation. They are all signs of alcoholism:
-When I'd start drinking (on a given day, always after 5:00), I wouldn't stop until I'd become seriously drunk. This is binge drinking, even you only do it once a month.
-I could consume very large quantities of alcohol for a 130lb female. I could drink some of my male friends under the table, and my best friend, who is Irish and proud of it.
-I would usually go for drinks that would get me screwed up quicker. No girly drinks for me: pass me the vodka, straight up.
-I had occasional blackouts -- where I was still functional, but I have no memory of what happened. My friends assured me that I was "the life of the party" during these times. Mostly I managed not to make a whore of myself.
-I'd wake up saying "I'm not going to that again!" Then a couple of weeks later... I'd do it again.
-One drink is enough to make me give up a lot of rational thought in favor of getting smashed. (Example, I'm a careful eater; I don't eat junk. After 3 drinks... pass the cheetos and cookie dough, ladies, we're having an estrogen fest.)
On top of this, I was having problems with depression at the time. Alcohol is a depressant; while it numbs the pain, it also further depresses brain function, so when it wears off, you're on a lower rung than you were to begin with.
So, my advice? Stop using alcohol altogether. Don't keep any at your house, don't drink any while you're out. If your friends go out to drink, be their DD. I'm the group "mom" now: I keep my girls from going home with strangers or drinking too much. Make a conscious descision to stop drinking
and tell your friends. Be straight up with them: "I think I'm getting a problem with alcohol, and I'm quitting. Please help me with this. Don't offer to buy me drinks, don't bring booze over. I still want to hang out, but I want to be the DD from now on." People who are your friends will respect your decision.