What is the difference between being an alcoholic and just drinking a lot?

What is the difference between being an alcoholic and just drinking a lot?

Gail Priddy (Deputy Director) gives expert video advice on: What is alcoholism?; What is the difference between being an alcoholic and just drinking a lot?; Is alcoholism a disease? and more...

Being an alcoholic or having a serious alcohol problem would suggest that someone is becoming physically and psychologically dependant on alcohol or well on the way to being so. Obviously, drinking too much creates it's own problems and there's that suggestion you could move from one into the other quiet easily.