I smoked. LOL!
I used to be a very heavy smoker. Over a pack a day for15 years. Then I quit at around 32 years of age.
At that time I had the occasional drink but I only on social occasions and never alone. About 2 years later I discovered how good wine could be and developed a taste for it and it wasn't long before I was drinking over a bottle a night.
I always liked to think of myself as not having an addictive personality but looking back on it, it seems clear I do. I was at least able to go 2 years without any apparent vice...surely that counts for something
Smoking was an attempt to avoid emotions and drinking soon became that substitute. Before that? I was frankly very unhappy but at that point I was under 18...a teenager and that seemed par for the course. What is unfortunate is I didn't allow myself to grow up as well as I could have. I was plagued by horrific self esteem issues I was unaware of- that only as of late I feel I have begun to break through.