Am I playing a dangerous game?

I have been having marital issues, on top of stress from going to school and having a low income. To deal with the stress and pain I’ve been feeling I recently starting turning to whiskey. Last night was my first night doing that and it worked like a charm. Took the edge off that I needed. I’m becoming overwhelmed by the stress and pain again today so I’ve turned back to the whiskey and it seems to be working. However, I’m worries I’m playing a dangerous game where I’m just trying to drown out my problems with alcohol and that this might be the first step into turning into an alcoholic. My dad was an alcoholic and because if it I did ‘t drink until I was about 24. I don’t want to become an alcoholic but I also don’t want to feel this stress and pain anymore. I’m hoping things will get better in my marriage and I’ll be able to relax enough to bare the stress of school and stuff but who knows where things go from here. I’ve never been drunk and don’t plan to but what if one or two shots doesn’t cut it anymore and it turns into four or five? Any advice on using alcohol to cope with hard times but not turning inti an alcoholic?