[dmgbrn]

As a recovering alcoholic, I can confidently say that this is not correct. Although many alcoholics get in trouble by drinking too much too fast (this seems like an acceptable definition of binge drinking that takes tolerance into account), the key feature of alcoholism is addiction -- that in the face of the consequences, alcoholics do not stop. At the height of my drinking, I was going through about two liters of vodka a day. Despite this, I tried and usually succeeded not to lose control of my behavior. After all, getting in trouble jeopardizes your ability to get drunk, and as an addict, every action I took and decision I made was driven by a simple principle: don't let anything come between me and booze.