I am kind of flip flopped on the old versus recent drinking problems. About 18 years ago I did go through a long depressive episode where my drinking was about the worst it has ever been. I drank to the slur/stagger stage often and drove my pregnant wife to the hospital in that state. In my defense, I was so blown away by the "this is it" weeks early that I did not think through the decision; it was almost sobering until I sank into a chair at the hospital and realized how drunk I was. Not long after that, I stopped drinking for 18 months and went years before it was a problem again.

More recently it was that I was using it as a medicine and it wasn't the right medicine. Also, I was sneaking it because my wife decided a few years ago that I shouldn't drink any more. That was an odd, somewhat out of the blue decision on her part because at the time I had it very much under control. I think she got educated and decided I never should have started back (even though I was with her the first time I drank again after the 18 months).

Drugs are the more pleasant memories. If I spend enough time in a state where pot is legal, I will get high at least once.