Alcoholism is a terrible addiction. I would party binge hard in my teens early 20s then it moved to drinking by myself mid 20s. And I lost a few years to heavy drinking. Lost my friends, job, girlfriend and moved in with my mom and dad cause I wasn't functional.

My greatest regret is not spending time with my father who passed away during my alcoholism. He would often reach out and want to spend time with me or just chat but I would blow him off because I was always drunk and wanted to be left alone. It breaks my heart thinking about it because he was such a kind man. I will never get that time back I could've had with my dad.

But when my mom got sick I finally snapped out of it. Exercising, jogging, hiking and trying to be healthy and productive was my new addiction. I didn't have any major health problems once I sobered up. Luckily my mom got to see me sober up get better and I made sure we had good quality time. She and my dad didn't give up on me. She passed away a few years ago.

Now, I have a girlfriend and 2 kids of my own with a decent job. I think you and I are both lucky we survived and are alive. Many people don't survive drug and alcohol addiction. We got a second chance even though we messed up parts of our lives. I am thankful for that.

Good luck to you.