Careful you might make me feel better about nagging you and just get it worse. :P

I dunno that people are necessarily not hesitant. They probably just hide it better.

I know I end up doing a lot of things out of sheer stubborn unwillingness to be 'beaten' even though my head is screaming at me that I must be mad.

There's always the full frontal face your fears and step right out there and do what you like solution but that's a pretty brutal way to go.

Maybe you could try the slower approach. Like in terms of social interactions- I'm not sure if you're going to bars or just small gatherings but starting out small with people you are at least semi comfortable with in a known surroundings might help.

I wonder if there's some way to trick yourself into feeling 'drunk'? (Apparently not. Google has failed me.)