Hello jlt and Welcome!
I am so sorry you are hurting. It is a pain many of us know well.
I'm happy your friend has decided to work at a sober life. I know this is hard to understand because it certainly was for me at first....
....but he is actually fighting for his very life right now. His job is to only think about recovery. He has to learn to think, feel, and be again in a new way, a sober way. This is just the beginning of a very long road for him, and I hope and pray that he will stay on it.
Please take good care of yourself, and come here and vent any time!