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[Vocenoctum]

I like that explanantion too. It explains the insanity pretty well, as Spike couldn't have been prepared for the flood of emotions and guilt having a soul would entail. This left him nice and weakened for the First to exploit.

Though, when Angelus was Ensouled, he spent decades tormenting himself. Spike was being tormented by the first, his own demons and the fact he wasn't getting Buffy Nookie, and yet still regained himself a lot faster.

Angel is so lazy, Spike took a couple weeks, Angel took decades/ centuries.

More proof!

 

[Staffan]

Well, apparently Angel was mostly drifting around until the 50s or so, not being particularly involved with anything but not living in squalor either. It was after he drank the victim of a robbery (seen in the drug-induced flashback he got when he bit Faith) that he got a conscience attack that lead him to being the wretched creature we see in flashbacks in "Becoming" (Buffy season 2 finale).