Dating a recovering Alcoholic
Or maybe not considered recovering yet? I'm new here, and need some advice from people other than my friends who love me too much to get past the potential hurt in this situation.
So I met this guy and dated him for about a month. We had this amazing connection, like the kind that really doesn't come around that often. He suspiciously didn't drink for "health reasons," but I never thought much of it. At the time he had been sober for about 6 months. He could still play his music in bars (like the one we met at), forego the beer for water, and be around alcohol seemingly without an issue. Being in our mid-20's, drinking is still a pretty big part of our social scene...but he always handled it fine. After a month he was going on vacation, and had told me that he was going to indulge a little while away. We talked via phone everyday for the whole week he was away, only one conversation he seemed a little out of control but again, nothing that worried me. Then he came home, and continued to drink. His first night back he drank until he forgot his plans with me and passed out at a friends house. The next day I got a call apologizing profusely, admitting that he has a problem he's been working on, and that he feel horrible for what he did and didn't want to drag me through his issues. We parted ways, and I tried to get past it but continued to miss him.
Fast forward one month, we bump into each other at the bar we met at. He tells me he's been playing more music, seeing his drug counselor again (who i was unaware of previously), eliminating friends who are a bad influence, and applying to grad school. He hadn't had a drink since the night he ditched me. Now we're hanging out, the connection is still there, and he's told me everything. He's been honest about his problem, and the fact that it is still new and a struggle for him. He said it's up to me if I want to keep seeing him, but he understands if it's too much to take on.
Bottom line, I want him to get better. I feel like I am willing to be a friend for now and see where the future takes us. I know I should run, but something isn't letting me. It sounds lame, but in all the dating I've done (LOTS), this type of connection I feel rarely comes around.
Any advice would be very much appreciated, and I thank all of you reading for listening to my ramblings :-)