Which track did you here that on? I don't recall Common talking about he had an alcohol problem. I also read a lot of his articles. He didn't say anything in them about dealing with alcohol.

"Dealing with alcoholism and afrocentricity..." (Commmon "The Sixth Sense")

That's the only thing I can think of. And that line doesn't mean he's going through it. To my knowledge, that line means those are things he's dealt with...those are things that he's seen.