Congratulations on your 12 days, keep at it. It just gets better. After reading your initial post I could relate to that feeling of control. What I didn't realize when I was using was that the drugs and booze controlled me, not the opposite. As far as dealing with the pains of everyday life, it may sound strange but I have found a simple joy in that. It's not all pain either, I am experiencing good things that I never would have felt if I were using. Up or down, good or bad, heaven or hell, I was just numb to it all. My basic mood was a constant state of misery, and I thought that was perfectly normal. Now I feel it all, and I love it. That's easy to say when I'm feeling good, but coming from a person that never felt anything but the grips of addiction it's true. As they say, how can you experience joy if you've never felt pain. Again, congrats on your 12 days and God bless.