Your story gave me flashbacks of my younger years. I'm a child of the 70s so when I was a teen in the 80s alcohol was so ingrained in American culture for GenX. The stories I could tell! When we were under age we used to stand outside of convenience stores and ask strangers to buy us beer and they would. That's just mental to think about now. I was lucky never to develop a problem but so many of the kids I grew up with did. I believe alcohol just amplifies the kind of person you are, deep down inside. If you're happy you get happier, if you are a miserable person the mask comes off a little more with every drink and you become more miserable and insufferable. Alcohol is such a slippery slope. I found if you regularly spend time with heavy drinkers it normalizes it. Now I rarely have more than a couple drinks at a time. There's not much better than enjoying a beer or glass of wine on a sunny patio. I can't remember the last time I had a hangover and I plan on keeping it that way.