Good essay. In my own readings on art and artists, one overlap with substance abuse is that artists tend to be highly sensitive people - the type of people who are drawn to both creative pursuits and also to coping mechanisms like drinking to numb the over-stimulation.

So it is not so much that writing leads to alcoholism, so much as being the kind of person who is deeply sensitive to the world around them makes both of those activities appealing.

As heavily drinking becomes less socially acceptable, and people learn more about mental health and healthier coping mechanisms, I wonder if there will be less famously intoxicated public figures - and if art will be better or worse for it.