Clean for 8 years and sober for 5. I too traded opiates for alcohol, and let me tell you, the alcohol was the worst of the two demons - the physical, mental, and spiritual pain was unbearable. It has been tough, mostly lonely, with COVID-19 lockdowns and having a lot less meeting opportunities. Zoom isn't the same. I do have two employees that I got sober with, so we get talk sobriety daily.
What keeps me sober - gratitude for small things, like sawdust, and big things, like the roof over my head and a 3 year old son who has never experience me at my worst.