The Freedom Model for Addictions addresses the myth that alcohol and/or drugs helps with stress, and provides a path out of this mythology:

“Pharmacologically, alcohol doesn’t relieve stress for anyone. We explain this fully in chapters 17 and 18. Nevertheless, this belief repeatedly paired with drinking and the belief that you’re unable to deal with stress led to the growth of a strong connection between stress and alcohol in your mind. If you did this, then as a result, you now feel an intense need for alcohol at the slightest negative emotion. You prefer to drink in response to stress. Changing that preference will take an open mind. You will have to dare to question such things as whether alcohol really relieves stress and whether you’re so fragile that you even need a stress-relieving drug. We will present you with the facts, but you still may not be fully convinced. That’s fine so long as you’re open to thinking differently and then testing this possibility by facing your moments of stress without alcohol. As you get through these moments, you will begin to discover that you don’t need alcohol to deal with stress. Or perhaps you have an open mind to this information, you remember it, and then you do drink when stressed. You may ponder whether the alcohol is relieving anything as you drink it and discover that it isn’t. You will change your preference if you pair new thoughts with the experience.”