Hi Charliee,
I think that wanting to escape and tune out for a period of time is completely normal and natural for all of us. Everyone needs breaks and some time when we don't need to deal with the mundane facts of reality... There are many ways to do this healthily, I think. What have you tried? I like to go on short trips, enjoy a massage or some more complex treatment at a spa. I like the kind of spa experience of spending some time in an isolation tank - no better escape and tuning out! I listen to relaxing music, and I almost never watch television or read the news in the evenings, much prefer spending it with a book. Or a movie I choose.
I also meditate and practice yoga, although I would not call these "escape" or "tuning out", more the opposite, but very relaxing.
If you would like immediate gratification: some service work/volunteering that is not very complex, new foods, sex, a good conversation... not sure what sort of things you enjoy best.
What I've listed here are the things that tend to relax me and provide a rewarding experience best, without much effort. But we are different and need to find what works...
The biggest problem with alcohol is that while it does provide immediate (and short term) release, as soon as it's worn off, everything gets much worse, not speaking of the devastating long-term effects, as you know well. Don't go that way, please!