I once had a roommate in college who was plagued by insomnia. I am truly grateful that it has rarely bothered me. That guy looked like warmed over death so many mornings. And he wasn't using anything except some college level booze. It has to be a great strain.
It would be nice to return to the mental state I was in during the period prior to my mid-30's when I really started to notice anxiety being a part of my life. I had a lot on my plate then too but I could shut it off and just relax. Not so these days; when I look around at my family I see that many of them deal with it. Some by retreating into a little, controlled world of their own, some by staying manically busy and other by fretting over things that they can't control. As far as I can tell, only one self-medicates with booze. Oddly, booze has the opposite reaction for me. It does chill me out in the moment but blows my anxiety through the roof the next day. As you say, these demons (although minor compared to addiction) are just the hand we are dealt. Exercise and work help me immensely as well as just socializing with loved ones. But, that is a lot of daily maintenance to keep your head from running rough shod over your ability to function.
Maybe I am being indulgent or overly philosophical about it, but I think the anxiety is just part of what we deal with as adults. I mean, life is wonderful in so many ways, but it is also a huge pain in the ass sometimes too. I suppose it is all part of recovery, which is to say, wrestling with real life without the barrier of opiates deflecting worry from our daily thought process. On opiates, I could get a lot done but not worry over what I had not managed to accomplish in a day. Without them, at this point so very close to my last day with pills, each item in my life that I know needs addressing (even if it is not urgent) gnaws at me. I hope that subsides. I has when I have kicked in the past, so maybe I am just dealing with the anxiety that everyone talks about as part of WD. But, I think it runs deeper than that for me.
Anyway, I am getting a little off topic. So, I'll just recap. Saturday of last week, I took my last two hydros 10mgs at midnight and today I feel much better in regards to the opiate issue. But, I think the anxiety is something I am really going to have to watch because, like alcohol, I can see it being a trigger for a relapse. I will say this, I am glad I went cold turkey. I had tapered before and that was pretty miserable and just prolonged the inevitable and subs seem like they would really be just another monkey on my back although I am not judging those who chose to go that route. Hell, whatever gets you through, I guess. Well, gets you through and keeps you clean anyway.
Best of luck all.