MUSIC. This goes for all drugs in addition to alcohol. Whether I was at a festival, a concert, a party, with one or two friends, or just in my room, I felt like I had to have drugs or alcohol to "get" the music and to *really* have a good time.
What BS that was. After 6 years of feeding my body with that crap, I have finally realized that music sounds so much better sober (and I'm not destroying my body anymore either).
I'll always enjoy the Grateful Dead, but wow...they have ruined so many lives by perpetuating the myth that drugs/booze open some special door to music. Same goes for a gazillion other bands. Total BS.
I hope that one day I feel comfortable enough to return to festivals and concerts, but I want a little more sobriety time under my belt before I even think about getting back out there.