Writing and alcoholism

I was perusing the biography section at my local Barnes and Noble yesterday, and I was surprised to find five or six memoirs by writers who have battled alcoholism. As a recovering alcoholic myself, it made me wonder about the connection between addiction and the writing life. Why do so many writers, and other creative people for that matter, battle alcohol and drugs? Are they above the norm, or are their exploits just more publicized. If I probed say the tailoring profession, would I find just as many addicts, problem drinkers, and junkies? If anyone knows more on this subject, I would love to hear your comments. Tonight or tomorrow, I will post the titles of some of the memoirs I found.