YYCGal

Okay - just so I understand.... tell me....

Sober - not under the influence of alcohol or other substances

Alcoholic - controlled/addicted to alcohol

Recovering alcoholic - an alcoholic who is sober (for the time being)

Recovered alcoholic - I guess meaning its been years or decades since they drank

Dry Alcoholic/Dry Drunk??????

What the heck does that mean?

I'm struggling with the difference between 'dry' and 'sober.'

And...the Al-anon meeting last night went well. He's still a sugar and spices and hasn't had a drink for 3 weeks now. Keeping my fingers crossed...

denny57

Some people hate the term dry drunk. I see it as a condition, not a judgment. My take on it is someone who is not drinking, but still has all the behaviors, thinking, etc. as when they were under the influence.

It's different for everyone - in my case I would not consider AH "sober" (recovering) until he had not had a drink for a year.

Glad your meeting went well.

an'ka

As far as I understand, dry alcoholic is a person that is addicted to alcohol, who is able to stay away from alcohol for a certain number of days/weeks/months, and who is NOT in SA treatment, AA, counseling, or any other recovery venue. Dry drunk is an alcoholic that is not presently drinking but is exhibiting a thinking and behavior pattern typical of an alcoholic who is actively consuming (moodiness, blaming, withdrawal, insensitivity, etc).

A recovering alcoholic is an individual who is seeking treatment for his addiction. Recovery is usually accompanied by changes in the way that person views himself/herself and the world around them, changes in attitude. I don't believe there is such a thing as a recovered alcoholic, since addiction is a chronic, lifelong issue, and must be continuously managed. That's my understanding of these concepts.

Cynay

Welcome... this is my understanding.

Sober is not drinking

Someone that is addicted to the substance...no control in that. There bodies process alcohol differently then a "normal" drinker.

For me this is someone that is not only drinking but is working a program like AA / Counceling.

I do not believe there is such a thing. I dont think Alcoholics recover.

An alcoholic that is not drinking but is also not working a program and is displaying the same attitudes/behavior as when he was drinking. (white knuckling it)

Hope that helps

embraced2000

imo-----dry drunk........an alcoholic that is not consuming alcohol for the time being, and resents the hell out of it. feels like he is staying "sober" for someone else, blames everyone else for his deprivation of alcohol, has not surrendered or accepted any part of recovery.

in other words, it's not what he wants to be doing. he may just be placating others.

so he is very irritable, restless, and discontented.

in my experience, anyway.

blessings
jeri

parentrecovers

i met a woman that is 24 years clean and sober. she attends aa meetings 4days a week, reads the big book daily. works as a family counselor in an inpatient drug/alcohol treatment center now after running a highly reputable sober living house program for several years.

she introduces herself as a recovering alcoholic.

cagefree

Dry Drunk = my AXBF

Was sober for (I'm guessing) 1.5 years. Every outting we went somewhere that served alcohol he wound up moody and withdrawn. I would wind up annoyed with him and his mind always seemed preoccupied.

Example - I took him out to eat one time for - I think - his birthday. He was having a hard time because he never once made eye contact with me, while I was trying to make "Lady and the Tramp" faces at him, slurping spaghetti. He was so "Entranced" and preoccupied with "it" he missed out on me being goofy (not that I looked very enticing, my face covered in pasta sauce), and I became less and less goofy without a captive audience. One time, I was telling him a story over breakfast while we were out to eat during one of his trances that he actually said, "Can you be quiet so I can eat?!"

He proceeded to spend the rest of the day trying to get me to talk to him again.

YYCGal

Hmm - the more I read - the more I understand. Especially with the ABF tonight. He hasn't had a drink for 3 weeks - but knowing his level of responsiblity and committment - and is as moody and childish as h*ll. The longer I contemplate, the closer he gets to the X part of AXBF!

laurie6781

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm maybe this will help...............................I have recovered from a seemingly hopeless state of mind and body and I am a recovering alcoholic. "Recovering" here implying that I am still growing and changing as I learn more and more about myself.

The 'Forward' of the first Big Book of AA said "We, of Alcoholics Anonymous, are more than 100 men and women who have recovered from a seemingless hopeless state of mind and body. To show other alcoholics precisely how we have recovered is the main purpose of this book." That was written in 1938 and 1939.

Hope that helps a bit.

Love and hugs,

Grasshopper

Not sure where the dry drunk thingy came from.Its not in the Big book.Or of AA teachings.
What is in the BB,is talk about the alcoholic still having the alcoholic mind,at times.
Personally for me,its just another way of saying that another is not good enough.There is still something wrong,about them.it is a judgement.
There is a host of mental illness' out there,that we dont understand.And other,phyical illness.",that can change someone.Had a friend who had a brain tumor.Of course his behaviour changed,before,he went to his Dr.Some folks in the rooms,said he was nothing more than a dry drunk.So there ya go.Must be careful what lables we put onto others.I can lable myself.Its just not wise for me to lable another,i believe.And to focus on my recovery.

YYCGal

Thanks - no worries. I'm not seeking to label anyone, just seeking an understanding of the labels we are using on this forum.