For me (I don’t drive for the record) it was pain related. I didn’t like the aspect of taking pills everyday, so I compensated with alcohol. Never affected my life or work (other than smelling of booze once in a while on really bad days…well…the day after…). I never drank at work either. I’ve had a few people die from taking too many pills, both acute (IE, Suicide) and chronic (IE, medical related). It took some time, but I’ve re-balanced and know that I can manage the pain easier and not drink as much.
