I think I have addiction issues. I've never tried tobacco, weed, or anything considered an "illegal drug." Alcohol is the only intoxicant I full with on any regular basis. And when I do start drinking, sometimes it is hard for me to call it quits. Especially if I know I'm not driving, I've gotten embarrassingly over the limit multiple times. But at home a 6 pack will last me two months.
It's a reoccurring gag in my family to mock the time I got addicted to Gatorade. This isn't a bit. Somehow I allowed myself to get physically dependent on Lemon-Lime Gatorade around 04/05 with my first Sams Club membership. I was buying 2-4 cases a pay period and drinking it at every meal and would legitimately start shaking, get dizzy, and REALLY cranky if I didn't have one at least per 8 hours. I was able to move past it and in 2018 if I am doing a lot of exercise or sweaty work I can treat myself to a Gatorade and not turn into "that guy."
So I'd imagine if I drank alcohol like Flair has for 50 years, I could see where everyone's concern is. It's not like, say caffeine, which my doctor told me to stop consuming due to anxiety and heart stuff. But I figured out one Surge a month isn't going to kill me. And a few weeks ago I was REALLY tired at work so I drank a 20 ounce Coke Zero to wake up, but chased it with a Xanax to keep the anxiety at bay. It worked, surprisingly, for a legal speedball. I mentally kept trying to compare Flair/alcohol to me/caffeine and that's highly flawed, I think.
So that's my compass for addiction. I'm probably way off on my understanding and shouldn't use anecdotal evidence to support my thoughts on the matter, but that's where I'm at. Beyond that I can only gauge off of family/friends that have struggled, only one attended 3 meetings and then bailed on them when the "higher power" angle got brought in too often. They're straight now, though, so hooray for their personal work on it.
Flair should worry his loved ones. That he's made it this long is eye popping, especially in THAT profession. When he does eventually leave us, I'll wonder how long he could have made it had he NOT been so consumed by his vices.