Haha that was funny about how what sets us apart from chimps is that we will wait for the reward from St Peter at the gates of heaven!
The concept can be turned around when it comes to recovery - waiting for the reward. It takes a bit of time for the mind and body to heal and to get used to living without substances, but the reward is very real. No, we'll never get that mind blowing pleasure again, but I find my life today to be much more rewarding and authentic. I'm all around happier. When I was in active addiction I was depressed a lot of the time, it was hard and stressful. I'm way more relaxed and have a much sunnier outlook on life. My cognitive functions just keep getting better too, I didn't realize how pickled my brain was! Booze baths are not good for the brain....