There's a difference between abstinence and sobriety.
We learned an important thing in outpatient rehab. It's not that our DOCs don't work to stop pain. It's that they work too well. Take them away and you're left with a pretty miserable and gray existence based on the underlying pain that you were using drugs/alcohol to escape. That's abstinence.
When you start working through those underlying issues through a recovery program or psychotherapy or best a combination of the two life becomes a joy rather than a burden. That's sobriety.
I started paying attention to the presence I had in everyday situations, especially activities that I enjoy, compared to when I was drinking and using.
I realized that life is now the opposite of boring.
I'm also truly sober, at least at this point, and can go out with friends who drink as normies to situations where there is alcohol and keep my commitment to not drinking without too much difficulty. I have the tools to manage cravings, and just in case I always have both an escape plan and a sober friend to call.