It's not a simple question of success or failure, but totally different drinking patterns and type of addiction. A functional alcoholic may in fact never actually get drunk, instead living on a constant chemical knife-edge of just enough alcohol to be able to appear alert and 'normal' but not so much to seem impaired, and rarely, if ever, tipping over the edge into 'the gutter'.

On the other hand you have the binge drinker, who doesn't require alcohol on a constant basis but who is unable (or unwilling) to stop themself from drinking to excess once they start. This may be once a day or once a year, and may also be combined with the functioning type behaviour.

So if there are no firm rules as to what defines an alcoholic or someone with a drinking problem, then it seems self-evident therefore that there can be no single 'right' way of addressing it.