thank you so much for your story, Stevie. i do recognize alcoholism as being progressive. i didn't even drink until my early 20s. when i did it was wine coolers and little mixed drinks. i don't think many people take their first drink and just suddenly become raging alcoholics. it went from social drinking one weekend a month to most weekends, every weekend, weekends alone, nightly, then eventually i started drinking earlier and earlier. alcohol made me at ease around people and i learned to use it to make me at ease with myself. it was my medication. my tool. then i became it's tool.