I went through something similar. I did not hit my bottom till I went into recovery. In active addiction I made a living , got a graduate degree, and was holding it together on the outside. But inside I felt awful all the time. And looking back, I would have not been able to stay on top of things.
In recovery, I found myself alone in a strange town. I had to learn to drive and there was no work in my field. I was so broke that it was a year before I could aford to get a phone. So it took a long time to get my life back. Looking back, it really was worth it.