I started similarly, like you holding down a professional job.In retrospect I must have smelled of alcohol in the mornings, and been over the limit for driving to work.  Someone at work once mentioned they thought a visiting speaker had been drinking, because they could smell alcohol adding "unless it's you or Julie" - meaning it as a joke because professional women wouldn't be drinking, right?  My downfall took a while to come.  The first thing was noticing my vision seemed a bit blurred driving home - led on to getting shakes towards the end of the day.  I thought this was anxiety, EVENTUALLY realised it was withdrawal symptoms.  I remember going to the pub with my partner, he noticed I was shaky.  I usually drank lager/cider, but was too shaky to manage a pint so had neat gin instead to stop it.  He didn't realise then.  Went on holiday with partner - unlike many "normal" people I was drinking less on holiday because of someone always being around.  Found I couldn't walk down steps because my legs were so shaky they gave way.  Again, withdrawal symptoms.  This led on to drinking to stop withdrawal symptoms, drinking vodka as it worked quick, and from there things got bad very fast.  Luckily I ended up in hospital rather than prison.