I guess that's true. I suppose as alcoholics our reference points are different. Being sick isn't like, an integral part of who people are, but for us, the booze IS who we are.
Actually, when I was talking to my therapist during our first meeting, he asked if I used to drink when I wasn't working. I told him "No, I used to work when I wasn't drinking." The booze was the centerpiece of my life at the time, and everything else was "also happening."