Hmnn... I was just thinking today of a metaphor to explain to non-alcoholics what I felt like the first few months when I was trying to get sober. And my answer today was, you're placed in a foreign country alone. You don't speak the language, know the culture, or have any friends. Should I go food shopping today? Is that what normal people do? What do I do when I come home from work now that I don't drink? But it does get better. You just have to be patient. You didn't create the mess overnight. It will take time to work yourself out of the hole. But it happens. You eventually start doing things which non-alcoholics do all the time, but you never did and become immensely proud of - try to cook, fill up an empty bird feeder, take your dog for long walks