Alcohol is not a great choice for moderating anxiety because it grants a short term benefit but a long term detriment (it actually raises anxiety levels for a d

Alcohol is not a great choice for moderating anxiety because it grants a short term benefit but a long term detriment (it actually raises anxiety levels for a day or two after you drink). If you need a substance to "take the edge off" - situational use of prescription pharmaceuticals like the benzos is a lot easier on the body and the mind. Note I say situational, in my experience doctors routinely over-prescribe and a daily benzo habit could lead to addiction and outcomes that are as bad or worse than binge drinking. That said I feel that the social benefits of alcohol are hugely undervalued by a lot of people who are stuck in a downward spiral where they lack social skills, they lack a broad range of social opportunities in which to develop those skills, the two problems reinforce each other and the most interesting things and people in life pretty much pass them by. There are a lot of these guys out there, they are tedious to be around, they don't get invited to much of anything, and they probably don't realize how much they're missing. Yeah alcohol is not healthy but it's not healthy to be isolated and alone either, as long as you don't have an addictive personality and you know when to stop, you should probably be having a drink here and there (and buying them for other people!) as a social lubricant.