“I enjoy a couple of glasses of wine at night. My friends have said I am an alcoholic. How can I prove to them I am not. I only drink a couple of glasses at night!”
We often think of alcoholics as constant drunks, people who start drinking from the moment they wake up. Sadly this is just an extreme case of alcoholism. Being an alcoholic is about dependency on drink. It often starts with a must have drink every night and then proceeds to lunch and before you know it are dependant on alcohol.
I cannot tell your friends that you are not an alcoholic. But I would suggest that you take a look at your drinking situation. Are you drinking every night. Can you go a couple of nights without any wine? Can you try to cut down to perhaps a couple of drinks at weekends? If you have any difficulty with cutting down, then perhaps you do have an alcohol problem. Like with most problems, it will be wise to seek appropriate help. Joining a club like the AA (alcoholics anonymous) would be a first step to admitting you have a problem. If you still feel that you do not have such a problem, do have a chat with your nurse or GP who may be able to offer you further insight and examine how much of a problem / issue you really do have.
By taking these steps, you will also be helping reassuring your friends, who incidentally seem to be good friends.