Portrayal of an alcoholic

How accurate does one think this movie depicts the progressive nature of alcoholism? One simply does not slip into alcoholic drinking suddenly, but it gets to that level after many years of progressive alcoholic drinking. I can't help but wonder if this accurately portrays alcoholism in its entirety.

Ben comes across as a character who had it all- good family, good job, well off. Alcohol would have been a part of his life during all of this. Ben is relatively young and I gather he had been drinking since a young age. It just makes one wonder how one gets to that state of chronic alcoholism where it is the be all and end all of everything- alcohol controls the individual, you don't control it.

I for one have a knowledge of alcoholism. Alcoholics tend to go on drinking at risky levels for 10 or 15 years before they reach that point and it becomes difficult to quit. Ben's tale is sadly reflective of many alcoholics mentality- they have isolated themselves from everybody because of their drinking and lost everything, throwing them into this state of depression and loneliness, bringing about a liquid suicide.