Thus the mental gymnastics the author mentions Yeah. Probably. It's not like anyone only drinks to write. Your question implies a common lack of understanding of a complex problem. But I've heard Stephen King say pretty much what I said earlier Addiction is incredibly powerful. It's much easier to reason your way back into it or to remain in it than to reason your way out of it. Some would say it's impossible to reason your way out of but they're fucking dumbIs that one specific creativity really worth condemning yourself to death for?
Even if - let's say - you were a writer, loved writing, and could only write while drunk -- would you, sober you, take a step back, look at this situation, and decide, "You know, it's the only choice I can live with: writing is so important to me, and nothing else can ever satisfy me and fulfill me and make me happy the way writing can, so i'm willing to give up basically everything else I could get out of life including my health in order to keep doing it.