Kaaawa

Hello from a newcomer. I have been dating a very nice man for about a month, and he amazed me this weekend by saying he's an alcoholic. We've been considering moving ahead into a serious relationship. Now I'm wondering how to understand some of the things he told me. I want to make sure I can handle this before we go further.

He told me that:

** He hasn't had a drink for 25 years.
** But he has alcohol "all over the place"; hadn't I noticed the wine and hard stuff in the kitchen? (No. Duh.)
** He rinses his mouth with Listerine each morning, even though it contains ethanol just like hard liquor. (I can't vouch for the accuracy of this.)
** He started drinking as "self-medication" for depression. Yes, he's now aware that alcohol is a CNS depressant...I think he started drinking in college.
** When drunk, he used to just sleep a lot for two or three days. He didn't become unpleasant.
** "I have an addictive-type personality."

And, when asked, he confirmed that he is depressed. He's unable to take the antidepressants such as Zoloft, due to side effects. Is taking some other Rx now but it's not helping. He'll look into a couple of new drugs.
** When his depression gets severe, he sleeps a lot for two or three days. He claims that is not a problem for a significant other.

I am struggling to take this all in, and make the right decision. Does it make sense that he's a sober alcoholic yet has alcohol in his house? Should I be wary of his claim of sobriety for 25 years? Worried about his addictive personality? Skeptical of his sleeping as a sign of depression, rather than of drinking?

Thank you for being there, and for reading such a long message.

Kaaawa