Good for you, Albastar - you ought to be proud of yourself!
I remember when I first 'got it' that alcohol or whatever is all the same - they're an escape - and I had to learn how to handle my stress without that crutch.
It does get easier as time goes by and all those one-days-at-a-time strung together become longer term sobriety which becomes a way of life. I'm always a work in progress and that is totally OK with me.