It took me a little over a year before I entered a weekly mini as rec, and I just wanted to not embarrass myself. Took second and moved to IM after that.
Gotta say OPs result is not a surprise after playing 3 months, being mentally wrecked by it is kinda dramatic though.
I waited a year to stink it up. Can't imagine how bad it would have been at 3 months.
Playing minis/leagues is a great way to bridge the gap between casual play and tournaments.