For at least the first 6 months of sobriety I was depressed I couldn't handle much of anything, I didn't know how to deal with any type of stress sober, but I got through it one day at a time. 5 months into my recovery my mom died and that 1 event made me realize that all the other stuff really wasn't that important. It was an uphill climb after that, not a stressful climb either it just seemed each day I was moving up, breathing freer, feeling calmer, smiling more.
I remember having a conversation with a friend once, we were drinking of course, I said I didn't understand why people were always seeking higher goals whether emotional, physical, financial; I said I was at the top of the mountain and I was content. Well let me tell you, that "mountain top" I thought I was on? wasn't even an ant hill, not quite the gutter but not much further up. In the past year I have I have seen what an awesome world this is and what a gift a sober life is, I live a very solitary life but I now see beauty and joy in so much. A neighbor friend had a double mastectomy last Thursday and she was out walking her dog last night and she was happy, happy to be alive and hopefully cancer free. The little struggles and even the big struggles are there maybe to help us appreciate the big picture.
Judy