This is a very open-ended question and more like a poll from a curious previous self-medicator. I think it's very common to "self-medicate" with alcohol although it's never called that. It's more often called catching a buzz.

My question has to do with drinking to cover up anxious tendencies, or drinking to an extreme but refusing to find an alternative. What have others experienced about what happens when ppl try to cover up serious general or social anxiety with alcohol, rather than, say, seeking a more affective alternative? Are there stories out there of what people have discovered after stopping?

Everyone drinks to relax, but I believe there are certain people who drink to try to overcome an anxiety that is seemingly crippling to them. Do you think there are differences in the negative impacts of overdrinking between doing so to relax and drinking to medicate? Is it easier for those drinkers to disregard the fact that they might need a more affective, less problematic "medicine" and just continue to drink as a crutch? From one who has thought about this personally for years, thanks for your thoughts.