This has most likely been answered but I was just wondering what are your thoughts on Dean's excessive amount of drinking, he never seems to be drunk but for example in 'Shut Up, Dr. Phil' in the motel room, it was filled with empty bottles and now he's drinking on the job; I don't like the amount he's drinking but then again, can we really blame him with what's he's dealt with and still have to deal with? I'd like to know because your opinions are always interesting to read.
As much as Dean would hate to admit it, it's how he knows to cope because he watched his father do the same thing for years. For Dean, the drinking is a defense mechanism and an escape hatch, at the same time.
Keep in mind, though, that even before all this, Dean has always had more than a passing acquaintance with alcohol. It's been present since the first season so I think Dean has, for a long time, been a functioning alcoholic. He's always got to have a little sauce in him to be what we consider "normal," but we've seen it escalate since he came back from hell.
The stress or the guilt ramp up, and so does Dean's drinking. It's not even a conscious choice he makes, it's just a good ol' reliable crutch that is there whenever he needs it. It seems like they're making a bigger deal of it this season than ever before so we might just get some story about it but I wouldn't hold my breath for it.
It's not the kind of show that deal with rel world issues like those and to be brutally honest, it's not the kind of writing staff that I would want tackling these issues anyway. They wouldn't know how to do it properly.