I was a serious binge and nighttime drinker for about 8-9 years. For me, "normalness" returned in phases. Within a week, I had started to get over the serious withdrawal and suicidal feelings. Within two weeks, I felt like some of the grogginess and anxiety was starting to shore up. Within about 6-8 weeks, I started to recover many of the mental capacities that I had burned off from the drinking. I'm at 4-5 months now and feel like I did before I started drinking.
Good luck and stay strong!