Hi Jeans, welcome. I definitely started drinking because of shyness but eventually the negatives outweigh the positives and that's when it's time to stop. I'm no longer shy but the thing that changed me was my work not the drink. I also hid my drinking from a partner that I was in a relationship with, it was long distance and I live alone so it was easy to hide, but I felt like a failure for doing it. I hope you find the help you need x