There are interesting points made here. Addiction can be (but is not always) a byproduct of ones dissatisfaction with life and is a very serious problem in every society.
That said, I think that this is just moral grandstanding. The author purports that alcohol and coffee (can't he just call them out rather than get cute about it?) are a means of escape and that escaping is a reflection of one's dissatisfaction with their current state. This is flawed logic. Why does the fact that I drink only mean that I am unhappy with my life in an unaltered state? There are so many other reasons that one might open a beer or brew a cup, there's no evidence at all (or at least none is presented) that it is simply a result of believing "there is something seriously wrong with what you would otherwise feel like?".
Substance abuse is serious and can happen very quickly, often as a result of personal issues. There's no doubt that you should always be wary of the reasons why you're drinking but you shouldn't feel guilty about escapism. Sports, music, art, literature, these are parts of our culture that many see as the great triumphs of our society and they are all forms of escape in themselves. I grant you that they do not have the same health effects and addictive properties that alcohol and caffeine do but that is not really a point that the author wanted to make in the first place. There's nothing wrong with wanting to step outside of yourself to enjoy the faculties that being human and alive allow us to enjoy. Go ahead man, this buds on me.
That said, I think that this is just moral grandstanding. The author purports that alcohol and coffee (can't he just call them out rather than get cute about it?) are a means of escape and that escaping is a reflection of one's dissatisfaction with their current state. This is flawed logic. Why does the fact that I drink only mean that I am unhappy with my life in an unaltered state? There are so many other reasons that one might open a beer or brew a cup, there's no evidence at all (or at least none is presented) that it is simply a result of believing "there is something seriously wrong with what you would otherwise feel like?".
Substance abuse is serious and can happen very quickly, often as a result of personal issues. There's no doubt that you should always be wary of the reasons why you're drinking but you shouldn't feel guilty about escapism. Sports, music, art, literature, these are parts of our culture that many see as the great triumphs of our society and they are all forms of escape in themselves. I grant you that they do not have the same health effects and addictive properties that alcohol and caffeine do but that is not really a point that the author wanted to make in the first place. There's nothing wrong with wanting to step outside of yourself to enjoy the faculties that being human and alive allow us to enjoy. Go ahead man, this buds on me.