My anecdote here is, I quit drinking temporarily three years ago to lose weight. My blood pressure went through the roof (Hypertension II) and I had extreme general anxiety. My physiological response was so intense I started thinking I might be in danger level of addiction. As I researched this more, it turns out high blood pressure and anxiety are normal responses.
Most people I know would not think I had a problem because I was functional and I didn't day drink. I might have two or three strong (> 7%) IPAs in the evening daily before bed. I would also on occasion binge pretty hard on weekends with friends.
After some time of not drinking my anxiety actually got better and I decided to keep it that way. I'm not a teetotaler but I have completely stopped bringing alcohol home and binge drinking in general. I still find that 2 drinks is harder than none, however.
My own take away (which may be different for everyone) is that alcohol is a reasonable way to make uncomfortable social situations tolerable but when used to treat a more general anxiety, it will likely make it worse.
Most people I know would not think I had a problem because I was functional and I didn't day drink. I might have two or three strong (> 7%) IPAs in the evening daily before bed. I would also on occasion binge pretty hard on weekends with friends.
After some time of not drinking my anxiety actually got better and I decided to keep it that way. I'm not a teetotaler but I have completely stopped bringing alcohol home and binge drinking in general. I still find that 2 drinks is harder than none, however.
My own take away (which may be different for everyone) is that alcohol is a reasonable way to make uncomfortable social situations tolerable but when used to treat a more general anxiety, it will likely make it worse.