anyone who consumes alcohol in order to escape reality

Hell, I drink to escape reality. Just like I watch action movies to escape reality, or read books, or go for a walk.

Sometimes reality, in the form of the day to day grind, needs time off. Getting drunk is one way to give it time off.

Drinking to excess -- to the point where you've lost all vestige of control -- is generally a bad thing, but even that can be useful sometimes.

Alcoholism is a problem. Don't get me wrong -- my father died a couple of years ago, almost certainly because of the drink, although he had other health problems.

It didn't make me respect him any less, though.