Originally Posted by
MindfulMan 
I am far happier sober than drinking and drugging.
To me the pink cloud was like another drug, another high. It felt artificial. It kinda was. Afterwards I crashed hard just like a drug. A few weeks of depression.
I rode it out. Just didn't do much. I've lived through enough mood swings in my life to realize that they're temporary.
What followed is a whole other state of being. Quiet contentment. Subtle confidence. A belief in myself and healthy self love.
I wouldn't trade this for a drink. No freaking way.
This is how it was for me too. I went through a few funks in my first year and same thing, I rode them out, and they passed. I had been drinking and drugging for a long time, it took awhile to heal and to even out. I went into it expecting some bouts of anhedonia though through learning from past attempts at quitting.
I'm at about 17 months now and I feel great. My second year has been much better. Not every day is amazing, life is life, but my life is better in every way that matters.
I had the insight the other day that as a drinker I invested in the wrong things. As my new path unfolds I have these moments of clarity where I can see mistakes I made and now I have a second chance to make different choices and investments into more rewarding and fulfilling endeavors. I definitely have different values as a teetotaler. Living that party lifestyle, it's hard to always see the big picture or to maintain a certain trajectory when life was so chaotic. Having inner calm and the ability to stay the course and have clear vision is just another gift of sobriety.
I wouldn't trade this for a drink either! I'm never going back to that crap.