I'm in a similar situation. Our friends are addicts. This is their disease and their problem. You asking will not fix it. His hiding is part of that sickness and actually nothing to be glad about because it spares you discomfort. He is lying to himself and you. That will not get better. Those bad times that trigger you now, will reappear with a vengeance. If his choices now make you that uneasy, it's time that you parted ways. Obviously the boundary that you set needs to be adjusted. I have chosen to leave my friend to find his own way back to the sobriety he once knew, but has chosen to abandon. Here's how long he will be in this state, as long as he wants to. His only damnation is alcohol. Don't take this wrong, but your perceptions don't amount to a hill of beans in this matter. The reality is that he's out of control. There's a little saying round these parts ---let go or get dragged. That is YOUR choice and life and the only life and choice that you can control. Good luck.