The thing about alcoholism Gymgirl, is it's often used and escape from "self" and not being able to handle one's life challenges. Actually, it has been discovered that a lot of individuals who develop alcoholism and additions have been traumatized, often struggle with ptsd and use the alcohol as a way to escape and self medicate. Some of these individuals can be very insecure, have low self esteem and are secretly unhappy with themselves.

His telling you "it's a cultural thing", is a bunch of crap and instead it's more likely he learned how to escape through alcohol through his family and piers that also became alcoholics.