Have you ever seen the movie Leaving Las Vegas? If not, I highly recommend it.

The movie stars Nicolas Cage as Ben, a man who is depressed and struggling with severe alcohol problems. He moves to Las Vegas with the intention of drinking himself to death. He moves in with Sera, a prostitute played by Elisabeth Shue.

The two agree not to judge each other or interfere with each others’ business. Leaving Las Vegas also doesn’t judge its characters or their actions. Instead, it provides an intense depiction of alcoholism and depression.

Ben clearly has problems if he’s so intent on killing himself. Sera, too, has her own problems if she’s willing to invest in someone so bent on his own self-destruction.

Ben’s alcoholism is like another character in the movie. This alcoholism drives what Ben and Sera do, how they think, and how they feel.

Their behavior seems frighteningly realistic. Alcohol or drug abuse can dominate a person’s life. People might become so obsessed with drinking or using drugs that they lose sight of what’s important to them. They’re only concerned with finding that next drink or that next hit.

You see such behavior in the movie. Ben cares for Sera, but he cares for alcohol more. Again, we see this in real life. Alcoholism has harmed countless relationships and marriages and helped lead to the breakup of many of these.

Even in cases where couples stay together, alcohol abuse can lead to abuse, fighting, tension, financial problems, and other problems. It can cause people to lose their jobs, which can obviously strain people and their professional and personal relationships.

Nicolas Cage’s character was determined to destroy himself with alcohol. It doesn’t have to be that way, of course. If you or a loved one is dealing with alcohol-related problems, please consider treatment. You don’t have to face such destruction.