Yep i think it will be a crutch , his way of coping . Some will label him an alcoholic , but I'm not sure it's as cut and dried as that . He goes to work everyday with his back without drinking . So probably his back is not the prime reason he drinks every night . I personally drank about 6 cans of beer a night for 15 years . I believed it allowed me to copy with work and life stress. I decided to stop doing it and found quite soon that I felt better not doing it . My stress levels dropped and overall happiness levels began to rise . The big thing is to deal with the real issue . Is he unhappy with portions of his life which make him believe he can cope better by deadening his feelings . If possible get him to commit to going two weeks without a beer , and sweeten the deal by saying instead of drinking beer , we can do this ( insert something simple he enjoys ) . A back massage perhaps ? ( gasping at straws here ) , a gentle stroll together ... it's your life , not mine , so you would know best . After two weeks see if he is feeling better . See if he wants to talk about life in general and if he would like to change anything about his life . These changes don't necessarily have to be earth shattering things . It's amazing how little adjustments can give you a new lease on life . It's about hope and feeling positive about the future .
I have no idea if I am 1000 miles off the mark with the above , but it was my experience so thought it worth tabling .