This is a great and insightful post, thomas11!
I was talking to my counselor just last night about how I feel that my anxiety levels have decreased significantly and my confidence level is rising, rising everyday. While I was drinking I always felt like I wasn't living my true life, I wasn't being true to who I really was. It felt like a false life, ready to collapse at any moment.
The feeling of solid ground beneath my feet lifts me up everyday!