i think your inquisitiveness and desire to know more is such a positive approach. there are some ppl who are perhaps heading for alcoholism but by backling off find they can drink sensibly.
another thing-it is not uncommon for even a recovering alcoholic-like me, 21 yrs sober-to have a thought of a drink. we learn to "think the drink thru" and conclude for us it's not an option anymore. there's too big of a price to pay. the good news is we no longer have the obsession to drink.
so if you think of a drink trying to do the 30 days it's certainly not unusual. if a person tho resumes before the 30 days they may need to probe further about their drinking habits.
BTW there is a large populus of bipolar and excessive drinking. they have found a correlation. other MI can have the same cause and effect. like we discussed, it's a form of self medicating. for me it first just lifted my mood.
then i used it to numb emotions i was uncomfortable with, etc.
at first i recall not drinking too much. as time went on i relied on alcohol to help me function in my everyday living. i began drinking more quantity. at the latter stage of my active alcoholism i had no control anymore. the obsession to drink was too strong. i no longer was controlling my drinking. the alcohol controlled me.
i hope this helps you. i'm here for you if you feel i can help. or pm me about questions and your progress. hugs