mry

I've been reading here for a good 6 months, attending Alanon and for the last 2 months, seeing a therapist. My AH moved out in Oct and has been sober since then. He is also seeing the therapist. Yesterday, the therapist told me that he believes AH is bipolar. AH does not accept this diagnosis and refuses treatment for it. AH has been told by his sponsor that he is a dry drunk. I'm wondering what the difference is between the two bipoloar and dry drunk?

Pelican

That might be a good question for your therapist, especially if the therapist is trained in addictions.

It is my understanding that both conditions are treatable.

LexieCat

Bipolar is a medical condition, treatable with medications.

"Dry drunk" isn't a medical issue, per se (although it is a symptom of untreated alcoholism)--it basically means that although the alcoholic isn't drinking, he or she is behaving in the same way as they did while drinking. It may be the result of not working any kind of recovery program. Often if all the alcoholic does is quit drinking, without making any other changes in their lives and thinking, they may be more miserable and unpleasant than when they were drinking--because the alcohol was their way of coping with life, and without the alcohol they have no coping skills.

I agree with Pelican--it's important to have a therapist who is familiar with addiction.

mry

Thank you for responding. Our therapist is trained in addictions - it took me three therapists to find him. I do plan to ask him, but was curious about it before my next session. I was just so surprised when he told me that I didn't think about what to ask. The more I think about it, the more I believe both are true for him.