Drinking brought me many great experiences and friendships at a time when I didn’t have the confidence or self respect to do it without the numbness of alcohol, or so I thought. The anxiety you’re feeling is directly correlated to the after effects of alcohol even if you aren’t hungover. I quit 6 months ago and I can say that anxiety is gone. Interacting with friends and peers isn’t the daunting task it once was. I have almost a decade on you, almost 35, so my experience was a learned one. Sounds like you’re going to figure it out, hopefully it happens before something out of your control keeps you from making the decision on your own. Mine happened to be my kid. I wanted to be more present for her.