Is an addict or alcoholic's life always sad and depressing if (s)he is using or drinking and not recovering?

Watching them die one day at a time is not easy. Especially if they have degraded mentaly and physically to the point they can't see a way out and have given up.

I have never experienced it, but the addiction itself is sad

I haven't been around in two months for a lot of reasons. I moved, was without Internet, working in a frenzy, and I wanted to adapt to a healthier lifestyle myself. I found that I was not in a place I wanted to be, and I was addicted to a ritual that incorporated a lot of bad habits - most of which weren't too ridiculously bad but taken altogether- and it's so easy to get sucked into that kind of bad routine.

I don't want to bog this answer down with those details, because it doesn't so much pertain to the answer here. I think this is a really great question, and something I am now thinking about - as someone who has wanted to cut down on Internet time and also someone who wanted to drastically cut alcohol intake as well.

In my own personal experience, it is very sad at first to get out of bad habits because they feel like rewards. It's fun; it's interesting; it's comfortable. Life is hard enough: we hate our jobs most the time and struggle to find fulfillment. Sometimes these vices create the type of Yes-Environment that makes all of that feel better. Maybe that's why it's so hard to recover. That type of self-discipline is enormous.

For me, personally - it's about baby steps and consciousness. I try to be aware of the choices I make, and I try hard to make healthy, positive decisions that support living better - without punishing myself. I find that, when it feels like deprivation, the addiction only becomes stronger. Making major life changes can help motivate and educate you as to the why the feelings are so strong and what actions can make it better.

Specifically for a lot of drinking, I read even just today that alcohol completely drains the body of vitamins. I regularly took B12, C, and a few others - and it was just gone. When I think of these overall things, I am even more motivated to stay healthier and consider it less of a deprivation.

And, when you can do these things in moderation - splurging is just that much better. It's normal, healthy, and right. I don't think the healing process has to be sad or depressing. I just think it takes a ton of time, perspective, and the knowledge that we're only human and it takes time to get things right sometimes.

Alcoholism is a progressive disease that always gets worse never better.

Yes, it is. There's an underlying feeling of guilt, shame, and helplessness that they are always feeling, whether they show it or not. They end up getting high and drunk to alleviate those feelings, but obviously it just fuels the fire further.

I think that the counseling and Rx for depression can be needed by anyone at certain points in time. There is no reason alcoholics can't use depression counseling and Rx for the condition at certain points in time.
Trying to stay off alcohol is a really hard fight for the alcoholic. I don't know if there are any Rx for that, but Rx for depression seems logical to me if depression is present.