Sarah, I totally agree. i have the same discussion in my head that many of us probably have, as to which came first, the anxiety or the alcohol. Perhaps Ill never know. What I do know is that by not drinking an working a program to address the underlying issues, I have been able to greatly reduce my anxiety and feel better than I ever have.
I have heard may times that people who drink have the emotional maturity of the age at which they started to drink. For me, when I quit the first time, much of the learning i did in the rooms was to "catch up" on my emotional maturity. For me, it took some earnest listening to what people were saying and applying that to my life.
Not drinking and the work helped the anxiety to go away.