I realised and carried on... I used to say things to myself like... well i'm not dying yet... i'm not as bad as that homeless person.
I was diagnosed with fatty liver (in my 20s) and still carried on.
Then the kindling began when I tried to become healthier... the binges got worse, the withdrawals got worse...and I think to myself, well now I am dying, I know i've damaged my body and it wasn't freakin worth it!