Hi @RubyAddams
I just wanted to pop by and welcome you to the forums
It sounds like you've been doing some real reflecting lately and are feeling ready to make some changes, which is great, but I know it can be a scary and hard thing to do. I'm sure some of our community members will be by soon to offer some great insights.
While I wouldn't say I'd formed a dependency on alcohol in the past, I've definitely leaned on it to help me in social situations so I can relate to the question of having a social battery without the added boost of a couple of drinks. For me I've had to look at building my social battery like building a muscle. It's really hard at first to put yourself in social situations sober, but the more you do it the easier it becomes bit by bit.
I'm really interested to hear what others thoughts are on this