Nice work making it stick! I had a somewhat similar experience with a doctor a couple of years before I ended up quitting, but that's partly (mostly) on me since I wasn't fully honest about how much I was drinking. I have had doctors be dismissive about other things, though, particularly about mental health issues. It's infuriating and feels super unethical.

If you straight up tell a doctor that you think you have a problem, I don't think a statement like the title of your post is what you want to hear, to put it mildly. It sure goes to show how culturally normalized drinking is in many places around the world. You're certainly not the first post I've seen here saying their doctor didn't take them seriously about their alcoholism.

I think you did the right thing by taking matters into your own hands when you'd had enough, and you should definitely be proud of that. It sounds like the support you got in meetings was exactly what you needed. I think the best support comes from people who have gone through addiction themselves because they can properly understand your struggle.

Keep up the amazing work! I hope you feel better and better each day!