It took me a lot longer than I wish it had to realize this, but what I found is that the greatest gift I could give myself and those I care about - and the world around me - was to:
Use those feelings of shame and regret as a powerful reason to embrace sobriety.
Make a choice to live a sober life and give my best while being my best.
Act in support of that choice.
Those shameful feelings, that regret, then turned into blessings - gifts. My life changed for the better and the shame and regret are gone.