I also was an 18-24 a night guy. That was during the week in the course of 3-4 hours after work. On the weekends I went through about 2.5 - 30 packs and wasn't sober for a minute all weekend. I was sick all the time, both physically and mentally!
I was able to turn things around by attending AA, getting a sponsor with a great and active sponsorship line, and working the steps. A key is to work the steps and not just attend meetings. Meetings are important but the steps will save your life!