It gets better... Well, LaTeX doesn't, but you'll eventually converge on a set of packages and workarounds that fit your writing.

Macros are local to the environment where they're created, so you can get around a lot of cut and paste by using \newcommand judiciously at the top of your \begin{proof} or \begin{itemize} (etc.)

I think, in the eyes of many of its users, Scientific Workplace is the paid "replacement" for LaTeX. I know a lot of people like Lyx too.