Well done, caste! You are an inspiration to others. Fortunately, I've never had an issue with alcohol or any other vice.......except pot and that's been a vice for probably the last 4 years.
I've come to the conclusion that happiness is a state of mind. We all have the power to be "happy" no matter what our circumstances. I'm also going through a rough period and I've been down the last couple days but I also am a strong believer in the mantra that what doesn't kill us, makes us stronger.
One small story for you: back in 1999, my ex-wife was 6 months pregnant with our baby and I was about to close on our new home. The day before I was to close on our home, my boss let me go. The day before! With a 6 month pregnant wife! Needless to say, this was a very dark day in my life. To make a long story short, I was unemployed for 6 weeks but when I did land my new job, it was at a much higher salary, better perks and an annual bonus. Looking back now, losing my job actually helped me in the long run, even though I'm since divorced and changed companies 4 times. But that's another story.........