When I quit drinking, and I actually finally did quit, one thing, I did, that helped: every evening, when the agony would kick in, rather than drowning it all, I started to tell myself OK I am experiencing agony. I am experiencing pain I am experiencing ( insert the negative emotion of your choice). I accept that I am just going to feel this for the moment I will note the feeling rather than spiral in a story about the feeling or try to cover up the feeling.

After about a month, my life was improving. I was taking new opportunities and activities, and the emotional pain subsided, and eventually was completely gone. Replaced with a joy of life.