Drop the language of ‘functioning alcoholic’. It’s not helpful and what does it even mean? I know lots of alcoholics and all of us were functioning, except we weren’t. You don’t have to be an alcoholic to need help or to be better off if you stopped drinking. And if you are struggling so much you’re under psychiatric care, you aren’t functioning. So stop trying to slap a label on it.
That said, at a bottle of wine a day, you won’t be physically dependent, as in can’t stop without medical support. You will be able to stop safely if you choose and you have the right support.
I would think about what you can fill that 3pm+ time with when you’d normally be drinking. It sounds like you likely have a young baby, can you plan to be out of the house every afternoon from 3pm? Do you have a partner who is around in late afternoons who could take baby while you go to the gym, take a class, go for a walk/run, meet a friend for a cuppa, listen to a (sober) podcast?
And then look for support. AA is one option, but only you know if that’s the right fit for you (it didn’t really suit me). I liked Bee Sober and they have online groups every day. Something as simple as following sober accounts on Instagram may help you find a local community and some support. Create a separate private instagram if you don’t want it mixing with you normal friends and family.
Initially, you just need to muscle through and quit, but don’t do it alone. You will feel so much better once you quit. I was drinking 3 bottles of wine every day. I felt awful and I hated my life. I was listening to a podcast and the guest said that when she was drinking, someone told her if she didn’t want to stop, to write a letter to her kids to explain why she chose alcohol over them.
I said, right, nope, I can’t do that. So I stopped. You absolutely can do it, but find other people doing it to. Because it’s so much easier when you aren’t alone.