>I cringe reading that as a child of parents who spent their lives self-medicating through drugs and alcohol rather than seeking outside help...
I declared myself as an alcoholic in an effort to get outside help. It was a big mistake. I went from being the equivalent of a Jew in a ghetto to a Jew in a ghetto who had ever so helpfully just pinned a gold star on their chest in order to identify themselves more clearly to their persecutors.
One of the problems your parents had, is that in you they had a child who clearly chose to 'admonish' and just feel self-pity.
I don't blame you. My sister hated our alcoholic father and she still hates alcoholics. She's a Nurse Practitioner BTW.
If you cared about your parents, you would have looked into the why's and wherefore's of drug addiction and if you cared about anybody else you would have moved heaven and earth to make sure nobody else should have to go through what you did as a child.
To just say: Drugs are bad, mmmkay?
That's a stuck record and about as bad as it gets and just ensures drug abuse persists and the broken lives with it.
Which is basically what you and this study are promulgating.
If you recognise you are an alcoholic you ultimately have 3 choices:
1) Carry on as you are with the inevitable consequences of a slow unpleasant & painful death but also significant damage to those who love you: family & friends.
2) Own up to your addiction. See comments above. BTW, the medical profession will like you no more than the rest of society ie. Not at all. If you recover, it's going to be largely due to your own efforts & if you're lucky enough, supportive loved one(s).
3) Suicide. ASAP.
I think that's known as a classic Hobson's choice.