I'm by no means an alcoholic, but I do drink more than I should. And, as much as I loathe to admit this, the primary reason why I drink is because, for me, everything is just a little bit more fun and comfortable when inebriated.
'Fun' for me means to be in a state untethered by social anxiety. When drunk my self-confidence rises significantly, and as a result I feel comfortable around people I don't know and in environments I'm unfamiliar with. If I go to a party sober, for example, I'll sit there scrutinizing everything about myself to the point of exhaustion: how I'm sitting, what I'm saying to other people, how I look in the clothes I'm wearing, it does my head in.
I do not drink every day, and I do not rely on alcohol when on my own or with close friends, but in large social environments it is a welcomed pressure valve. And it does bring people closer together, which is nice.
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