I had a horrible relationship with my father. Counseling revealed that many of my "life" problems began there, but my drinking was my doing. I don't blame that on childhood trauma. Maybe I should... but I don't. I was years away from my father when I started to drink. The two don't seem that strongly connected. I can easily believe that people drink to mask (or try to mask) emotional problems and trauma, but I do not believe drinking provides actual relief. Masking, maybe. Relief, not at all in my case. When I was down, I would just get drunk and down. The problem I tried to drink away remained, but I was drunk and ready to sit on the pitty pot, which didn't solve anything either.