I Thought I would share my thinking on how alcoholism gets started.
Some of us are born with a genetic make up that predisposes us to it. Anyone can have it. Some groups that are more susceptible than others are Scandanavians and American Indians. My kids are both. Just because the genes are there does not mean you will be an alcoholic, other things go into it.
Home Life is a big one. The attitudes, behaviors, perceptions, value systems at home while growing up can lead to need for escapism.
How we choose to escape makes a difference. Escaping in non-harmful ways is best especially if we later turn back to whatever the problem was we were getting relief from and figure out how we are going to healthfully and effectively deal with it. We will feel rewarded and self confident in ourselves . Unhealthy escapism will always include escaping but not coping later on. Not developing strategies to deal with any given situation or thing, this leads up back to escapism in a vicious cycle never growing from the experience.