Normal is such a loaded word.
Some people love running, watching YouTube videos, stand up comedy, magic tricks. Drugs, in my opinion are way more exciting. Does that make me an addict? That and my genetics, experiences, mindset, yeah they probably all tie into it.
Some can enjoy simple pleasures. I'm doing my best to try that. But in the back of my mind I'm always thinking about something exciting, instant and easy.
@HumanityIsTheDevil , shame is a normal feeling, as is wanting to be stable before a relationship, as is running into tough experiences, as is struggling to stop things that we enjoy but are self destructive.
For us staying clean is a tall order. Because personally, without all the negatives (which god fuck me there are a ton), it's a good time (momentarily).
That's why it's hard, because the temptation is "normal" if we're using that word.
Anyway man, I don't mean to hound you with words. You seem very smart, self aware. Stable sobriety isn't necessarily fun, but in that comes the mental clearness and time to figure out how to tackle the other things in life that take work and have some meaning to us. Hopefully, in time, it will be evident that those meaningful things are actually pretty damn satisfying, too.