Cigarettes and Alcohol

I'm on a health drive at the moment, and it's going very well; I've given up pethidine, cyclizine, amitrypiline, and a host of other prescribed assistants. Although to cope with the residual pain I've had to take up smoking and drinking again. Sooo... yeah way to go there. Man what is it with the stimulants? Everyone has some form of narcotic to null the pain, whether it be smack injecting or stamp collecting, it all seems to provide some sort of vital required escape. Like we'll all go crazy without the necessary distractions from the humiliations of the day-to-day. But are we trying to escape from, or escape to? I'm not sure, but I'd be grateful to find out.