All I have to say is, if you use drinking for a social crutch, as a coping mechanism or for any of life's problems, you are fighting a losing battle. Your need for alcohol as a coping mechanism, as well as your alcohol tolerance will inevitably go up, requiring you to consume more, this wreaking havoc on your insides, thus making you more nervous and internally unhealthy. It definitely is very scary to stop drinking but that investment is a lot more rewarding than you think. I used to think exactly like you, didn't ever want to stop drinking.. ever. The thought of quitting scared the sh.it out of me. I was the type to socialize only if alcohol was around and would rely on it very heavily.. for everything. I had severe social anxiety too. Long story short, I needed to quit and it was not easy but I can say, I learned to LOVE and depend on myself without the delusion of alcohol blinding me to reality.. I found courage and a high self esteem that was in me that was completely masked over by alcohol. it was hard bc I had to change associations but my life is a million times better than before, and I feel dang good about myself today rather than when I was numbed out and strung out living in my alcohol induced drug world.