Took me about 3 years. I felt better within the first year, and each subsequent year too, but year 3-4 I just really grew up and got my brain back. I looked back on my early sobriety and realized how sick I was, how selfish and neurotic. Year three was when I truly thought of others before myself. Not because someone told me I had to, or because I thought it was the next right thing--I just did it. I meant it. I was finally sincere instead of just acting the part.
I also started having feelings of guilt. I know some will say that's a regression of sorts, but for me it was not. I had NO guilt when I got sober. I honestly didn't think I had done much wrong ... that is how selfish I was! So feeling guilt was a positive thing for me. It meant I was able to experience some empathy for others, to put myself in their shoes, I had never done that before because it was always about me.