Here's what worked for me. Like you, I found things were long-term better when I wasn't drinking, but short term drinking helped. 1. I talked to a psychologist

Here's what worked for me. Like you, I found things were long-term better when I wasn't drinking, but short term drinking helped. 1. I talked to a psychologist. I drank largely because of personal anxiety, and alcohol really helped take the edge off. The doctor gave me sertraline (zoloft) which was a night-and-day improvement. The anxiety was gone, and I felt like a human being again. This reduced my desire to drink. 2. I set rules for myself. I still drink, but no more than 2 drinks a night, never two nights in a row, and only deliberately (when I want a drink, rather than when I'm with people who are drinking). I break these rules sometimes, but it's a baseline which I measure myself against. I made it into a sort of self-discipline game for myself - i.e. proving to myself that I had the willpower to show restraint. 3. I got comfortable ordering non-alcoholic drinks in bars. I always go for a tonic-water with a lime. When I'm out with friends and not drinking, I always split the bill evenly though.