‘Khushi mein peeta hoon’: When Shaan opened up about drinking alcohol only in social set-ups; psychologist weighs in | Health News
4 min readNew DelhiMar 22, 2026 10:00 PM IST
Singer Shaan once got candid about his relationship with alcohol, making it clear he doesn’t see himself as someone who drinks alone or out of emotional distress. In a conversation during the AP Podcast (Aftab Puttoo Podcast), the award-winning singer revealed, “I’ve never had a drink sitting at home as an addict. I’m a social drinker, but, of course, social drinking used to happen every day. I’m just saying. I am a people person.”
For Shaan, alcohol has always been tied to people, laughter, and shared spaces – not solitude.
“Ab mai dost ke paas gaya aur usne ek drink offer ki to mai karu. ‘Le bhai ek se mera kya hoga’… toh ho jata tha mera. But aisa nhi hai ki gharpe baitha hoon… Khushi mein peeta hoon. (If I go to a friend’s place and then they offer a drink, what am I supposed to say. ‘What harm will one peg do’… and this is how the evening used to start. It’s not as if I’m sitting at home and drinking… I drink when I’m happy)”
What Shaan confessed is something many people who drink alcohol relate to. Many people believe that drinking in company is harmless because it’s linked to joy, not pain. But psychologists say the emotional role alcohol plays can be more complex than it appears.
Psychology behind drinking only on social occasions
Dr Murali Krishna, Visiting Consultant, Psychiatry & Counselling Services, Aster RV Hospital, Bengaluru, explains that social drinking often begins as a bonding tool. Alcohol can reduce social anxiety and make interactions feel easier, especially for people who draw energy from being around others. Over time, however, the brain may start linking alcohol with confidence, comfort, and connection. That subtle association is where things can shift.
Shaan further made a similar confession about smoking as a more experimental than habitual practice.
“Aisa nahi hai ki koi bole ki smoke karo to mai bolu nahi nahi (It’s not as if I bluntly say no when someone offers me a smoke.) I just take a puff from someone, but I don’t enjoy it. I do it to see what it’s all about… to get a feel.”
This idea of “just going with the moment” is common in social settings. But, according to Dr Krishna, dependence doesn’t always look like drinking alone at home. It can develop quietly when a person starts feeling that social situations are incomplete without alcohol.
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If someone feels uneasy at gatherings where there is no drinking, prefers plans centred around alcohol, or believes they need a drink to relax or open up, those may be early warning signs. The frequency of such situations matters too – regular social drinking can still create a pattern of emotional reliance.
“People develop dependence when they consume alcohol to achieve relaxation, stress relief, or social confidence, or human connection. People depend on alcohol because of its emotional effects, not because of its surrounding environment,” Dr Krishna explains.
Shaan’s reflections open up a conversation many relate to – the belief that “only social” automatically means safe. But as experts point out, the deeper question isn’t just where someone drinks, but whether alcohol has quietly become their shortcut to feeling at ease.
DISCLAIMER: This article is based on information from the public domain and/or the experts we spoke to. Always consult your health practitioner before starting any routine.
