If he is a real alcoholic or addict, not using won't make everything ok. In most cases, it makes them worse. For someone with alcoholism, it's damned if they do, damned if they don't. Unless they are seeking recovery and real change, they aren't usually very successful in life, with or without drinking.
What I had to decide was if I was going to recover from the effects of alcoholism, or let it take me down, too. Once I made that decision, it took some time, but things got a lot better for me. No one can predict the future. But we can get help for how to deal with today. Hugs, Magic