Drinking -- at least for me -- has never about joy or being happy. The only happiness I really get from a drink is enjoying a new, novel flavor, not dissimilar

Drinking -- at least for me -- has never about joy or being happy. The only happiness I really get from a drink is enjoying a new, novel flavor, not dissimilar from the joy of tasting a new food. For me the main reason I drink is to medicate my anxiety. My anxiety is both a blessing and a curse. It motivates me to work harder, but at the same time causes me to fear social interaction. With alcohol I can temporarily tolerate being in close quarters with people I'm loosely associated with, such as acquittances, family and colleagues. But for me it's a medication primarily, not something to get "high" off of. I am certainly not the only one who drinks in order to maintain the appearance of some semblance of a normal life.