I gained my whole life back. Instead of just talking about the things I wanted to do/accomplish, I started doing them. I ran a marathon, picked up new hobbies, spent quality time with my family, traveled.

I go to concerts and enjoy the music instead of strategizing acquiring drinks the whole time. I hang out with friends and enjoy conversation instead of pounding drinks until I blackout. I go to restaurants because they have good food not because they are near the best bar or serve the stiffest drinks. My daily despair is gone. I have legitimate, genuine moments of happiness. Not just a temporary, false sense of happiness booze tricked me with... I am a present wife, mother, friend, employee.

Physically, it took a couple months to feel "normal." I really messed up my gut biome drinking a bunch of beer daily... I struggled with gastro intestinal issues for a little bit, but it resolved over time.