Hi WeekendWaster
Thanks for sharing your story. You'll find a lot of support here.
I went from weed and other drugs to booze as I got older too...and I found myself travelling headlong down a very very dark road.
I'm an Australian so the drinking culture here is very like the UK.
It wasn't easy to make the changes I needed to make - I lost a few drinking buddies and my life no longer revolves around the pubs or getting drunk....but I don't regret making those changes at all.
I've gained many new friends, many new interests and most importantly a new lease on life - my life is immeasurably better now, I like who I am, and I can look at myself in the mirror.
The support I found here really helped me make those changes - I hope you'll find this place as valuable as I did
D