Is alcoholism any different than any other addiction? I ask this because I have worked in the field of mental health for years and also with people suffering from abuse problems such as alcoholism, or drug abuse.

It depends what you mean by difference? Every addiction is different as the reason behind it are always different. All addictions from drug addicts to shopaholics carry out their addiction to gain a high. This high often hides other negative feelings the individual might feel about themselves. As the addiction develops the high turns more in to a feeling of normality. This cat and chase game is the same in all addictions but the causes very different. Also with certain addictions such as alcohol and some drugs are the physical symptoms of the addiction such as shaking or stomach cramps. The only way for the physical symptoms to subside is by using the substance that actually causes them in the first place. Sorry for the tangent I would say all addictions have similarities but as every person is an individual it's the causes of the addiction that are important not the addiction itself.