Ahhh, the holy grail! I think there are a lot of people who would prefer an alternative to alcohol as a social lubricant.
I myself really detest the way even moderate amounts of alcohol make me feel the next day, and the effect of alcohol on my sleep.
Its all well and good to go out to a bar and not drink but you are on a different wavelength than the rest of the crowd and it's just not the same.
So not drinking definitely puts a damper on my social life in this small coastal village I live in.
You can try phenibut, and it will work as well for your purposes as anything else on the market.
its my second favorite nootropic from behind the iron curtain. Phenibut, as the story goes, was created for cosmonauts who needed something to calm the nerves while stuck in tiny metal capsules risking their lives. The existing drugs all dulled the senses. So phenibut exists as a kind of smart benzodiazepine alternative.
It is habit forming though and you want to avoid a dependency.
Update because I can't reply:
Phenibut is not a benzo, and I don't use it in place of alcohol, but for the questioner, its probably the closest replacement to alcohol that I know of, but still very different. And for those who would otherwise drink to relax a far healthier choice IMHO.
I guess my question is why do we accept alcohol as a safe choice? There is some unknown number of drinks in some unknown amount of time where alcohol becomes neurotoxic and diminishes memory and general intelligence. The best approximations I have seen is about 4-5 drinks.
For those at risk alcohol can push them over the threshold into sleep apnea.
Over time alcohol makes one less attractive. Broken blood vessels, and looser skin from the inflammation from going to sleep intoxicated.
But clearly alcohol is useful and enjoyed by most adults, its ubiquity at social events is clear evidence, I believe its a critical social imperative to develop and promote healthier alternatives.
