Dry Drunk?
Administrator
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Australia
Posts: 211,372
I don't use the term myself - but this is a reasonably interesting round up of what most people mean by the term
Dry Drunk - Dry Drunk Syndrome
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Dry Drunk - Dry Drunk Syndrome
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Member
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: pennsylvania
Posts: 96
Originally Posted by killingmesmalls 
Can anyone explain what this is? Is it just giving up one addiction to be replaced by another, like giving up drinking to then start compulsively gambling? Just curious.
A dry drunk may be one who has just using willpower alone stopped drinking yet still exhibit signs of the disease of addiction. Hope that helps.
Member
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: UK
Posts: 4,682
Simply put dry drunk is someone who stops drinking and changes nothing or little else in themselves, e.g. their thoughts, feelings and emotions, it is a very apt expression if you have lived through it i can assure you;-)
Heathen
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: La La Land, USA
Posts: 2,567
From what I know it's usually an AA term. I don't use it..
From what I do understand of it though, it means that someone has quit drinking but not worked on anything else in their life to 'recover'. Abstinence is not recovery, now I do believe in that for sure.
From what I do understand of it though, it means that someone has quit drinking but not worked on anything else in their life to 'recover'. Abstinence is not recovery, now I do believe in that for sure.
where the light is
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Ontario, Canada
Posts: 2,763
Quotes from:
Dry Drunk
Dry Drunk
OBVIOUS TRAITS Persons experiencing a full-blown DRY DRUNK are, for that period, removed from the world of sobriety; they fail, for whatever reason, to accept the necessary conditions for sober living. Their mental and emotional homes are chaotic, their approach to everyday living is unrealistic, and their behavior, both verbal and physical, is unacceptable.
The term "dry drunk" therefore denotes the absences of favorable change in the attitudes and behavior of the alcoholic who is not drinking, or the reversion of these by the alcoholic who has experienced a period of successful sobriety. From these conditions, it is to be inferred that the alcoholic is experiencing discomfort in life.
The self-destructive attitudes and behavior of the dry drunk alcoholic are different in degree but not in kind. The alcoholic, when drinking, has learned to rely on a deeply inadequate, radically immature approach to solving life's problems. And this is exactly what one sees in the dry drunk.
ANALYSIS OF DRY DRUNK BEHAVIOR The alcoholic who rationalizes their own irresponsible behavior are also likely to find fault in the attitudes and behavior of others. Although not denying their own shortcomings, they attempt to escape notice by cataloging in great detail the transgressions of others.
The classic maneuver of the dry drunk is over-reaction. The alcoholic may attach a seemingly disproportionate intensity of feeling to an ordinary insignificant event or mishap.
The self-destructive attitudes and behavior of the dry drunk alcoholic are different in degree but not in kind. The alcoholic, when drinking, has learned to rely on a deeply inadequate, radically immature approach to solving life's problems. And this is exactly what one sees in the dry drunk.
ANALYSIS OF DRY DRUNK BEHAVIOR The alcoholic who rationalizes their own irresponsible behavior are also likely to find fault in the attitudes and behavior of others. Although not denying their own shortcomings, they attempt to escape notice by cataloging in great detail the transgressions of others.
The classic maneuver of the dry drunk is over-reaction. The alcoholic may attach a seemingly disproportionate intensity of feeling to an ordinary insignificant event or mishap.
Member
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Pasadena, CA
Posts: 1,539
put the plug in the jug
and
nothing
else
many state this leads to an unhappy existence because we can't escape & cope well without alcohol.
we never learned how, that's why we drank in the 1st place.
with a formal program of recovery such as AA, a specific & distinct way of life is available to grow spiritually becoming patient, tolerant, kind, loving, understanding and compassionate.
Free of anger
Happily & usefully whole
and
nothing
else
many state this leads to an unhappy existence because we can't escape & cope well without alcohol.
we never learned how, that's why we drank in the 1st place.
with a formal program of recovery such as AA, a specific & distinct way of life is available to grow spiritually becoming patient, tolerant, kind, loving, understanding and compassionate.
Free of anger
Happily & usefully whole
Member
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Philly and NYC
Posts: 220
From both experience and the BB defines it clearly, a dry drunk doesn't stay dry. A dry drunk drinks again. For me I can stay dry for a month and a half max without working a program as my history shows. I was able to hold off for that month and a half until I broke cause I couldn't deal any longer.
From my experience and those of many close friends, a dry drunk may also stop drinking but like you said gamble compulsively. Yeah they may be "dry" but they are seeking out the escape/high in other forms. I have seen it with alcoholics using pills (benzos/opiates) or acting out sexually. So by the general definition they are "dry" but still seeking out that high in just other forms.
What ends up happening too is that they get addicted to the gambling or drugging and the habit gets just as bad. Or they return to what they loved, the drinking.
From my experience and those of many close friends, a dry drunk may also stop drinking but like you said gamble compulsively. Yeah they may be "dry" but they are seeking out the escape/high in other forms. I have seen it with alcoholics using pills (benzos/opiates) or acting out sexually. So by the general definition they are "dry" but still seeking out that high in just other forms.
What ends up happening too is that they get addicted to the gambling or drugging and the habit gets just as bad. Or they return to what they loved, the drinking.
Follow Directions!
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Fredericksburg, Va.
Posts: 9,730
I really do not like the term, but I see it a lot, especially in the rooms. I thought it was strictly an AA term as well, but yesterday when this thread popped up I did some net checking and it does appear to have started in AA, but it is now also being used by some addicition specialist, I found some articles written by doctors describing it as a "Syndrome".
The descriptions by the doctors ran right along the lines of what I have heard and observed in the rooms of AA, in a nutshell it is basically a sober alcoholic who has done nothing but stopped drinking, they have not worked on thier personality traits at all or very little. They are still angry, anxious, resentful, egotistic yet at the same time feel feelings of being less then others, they still blame others for thier problems, they have very little going on in thier lifes except not drinking, they are bored & unhappy. Not all of these things show up in all of them.
There is one guy I know that has been in and out of AA many times over the past 10 years, he has had up to one year sober and then wound up staying drunk for 2 or 3 months and then comes back in. He whispered to me in a meeting one time after I had shared about how great I felt after doing my 5th step that he wished he could bring himself to working the steps. I whispered back "You have never taken the steps?" He said "Nope". I asked him if he had a sponsor, he said "No, just never seem to get around to asking some one" I said " Don't you think a sponsor could help?" he said "Yea, I guess.". I have not seen him in at least 3 or 4 months since then. Needless to say I pray for him and worry about him.
The descriptions by the doctors ran right along the lines of what I have heard and observed in the rooms of AA, in a nutshell it is basically a sober alcoholic who has done nothing but stopped drinking, they have not worked on thier personality traits at all or very little. They are still angry, anxious, resentful, egotistic yet at the same time feel feelings of being less then others, they still blame others for thier problems, they have very little going on in thier lifes except not drinking, they are bored & unhappy. Not all of these things show up in all of them.
There is one guy I know that has been in and out of AA many times over the past 10 years, he has had up to one year sober and then wound up staying drunk for 2 or 3 months and then comes back in. He whispered to me in a meeting one time after I had shared about how great I felt after doing my 5th step that he wished he could bring himself to working the steps. I whispered back "You have never taken the steps?" He said "Nope". I asked him if he had a sponsor, he said "No, just never seem to get around to asking some one" I said " Don't you think a sponsor could help?" he said "Yea, I guess.". I have not seen him in at least 3 or 4 months since then. Needless to say I pray for him and worry about him.
Member
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: uk
Posts: 2,548
im sure my wife will be able to define it perfectly..
After lots of dry periods in the beginning.....cant say i noticed ..it was just everyone else...!!
i believe the majority of alcoholism centres in the mind.....so take away the booze and im left with the mind of a chronic drunk.
not nice to be around.....but i didnt notice it much because my whole life is about ME anyhow...lol..
and then the day comes after trying everything else to fix my..discontentment.
when i pick up my booze and around we all go again..
After lots of dry periods in the beginning.....cant say i noticed ..it was just everyone else...!!
i believe the majority of alcoholism centres in the mind.....so take away the booze and im left with the mind of a chronic drunk.
not nice to be around.....but i didnt notice it much because my whole life is about ME anyhow...lol..
and then the day comes after trying everything else to fix my..discontentment.
when i pick up my booze and around we all go again..
I got nothin'
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: My house.
Posts: 4,890
A dry drunk is a drunk person who isn't wet. Dry drunks are prepared for all sorts of precipitation. Slickers, umbrellas, and waterproof shoes are part of their outdoor wear. I hope this helps.
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I don't use the term, or even really recognize it as a logical term.
When others use the term I assume they really can't formulate what they are trying to say in real words.
First... a person stops drinking.
Then... they may or may not begin 'recovery'.
But... if they're not drinking, it is impossible for them to be 'drunk'.
And... not drinking is a HUGE ACCOMPLISHMENT, huge, enormous.
Everyone has character defects, some act out on them more than others.
My highest congrats go out to anyone maintaining an alcohol free lifestyle.
All just my own opinion(s).
When others use the term I assume they really can't formulate what they are trying to say in real words.
First... a person stops drinking.
Then... they may or may not begin 'recovery'.
But... if they're not drinking, it is impossible for them to be 'drunk'.
And... not drinking is a HUGE ACCOMPLISHMENT, huge, enormous.
Everyone has character defects, some act out on them more than others.
My highest congrats go out to anyone maintaining an alcohol free lifestyle.
All just my own opinion(s).
Member
Join Date: Sep 2007
Posts: 1,876
A dry drunk is a mythical creature..they don't exist yet a description of them do. My daughter loves unicorns...she has read about them and has seen many pictures of them yet there are none at the zoo. LOL Ridiculous at best.
Member
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Syracuse, NY
Posts: 331
I had some issues, emotional issues when i stopped drinking who doesn't and that attitude may land you a name like this, it is almost a slang term for pissed off AA guy. Whatever, people can say whatever they feel but being sober is something better than a drunken mess with no care to change.
Member
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: UK
Posts: 4,682
Originally Posted by killingmesmalls
Thank you everyone - it's a term I heard growing up and I read it in a post on hear. Wasn't sure exactly what it meant - so thanks for clearing it up.
Member
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Virginia
Posts: 818
I'm with Taz in that I don't like the term, although I hear it sometimes in meetings. I especially don't like it because it's judgemental, and we in AA are supposedly not judgemental. It presupposes that anyone who gets sober but fails to work the AA program is something of a lesser human than someone who does. We somehow forget that Bill Wilson is the one who said that AA has no monopoly on sobriety.
I'm a member of AA and the program has saved my life. I was able to attain physical sobriety and maintain that with the emotional sobriety learned from AA. But that's me. I could never disparage anyone who has achieved the same results without AA. I do not like the phrase "only a dry drunk", and I too often hear it from addiction counselors - those who, if no one else, should never use it.
I have read pretty much everything AA has published over the years, but that's not to say I accept everything as though coming from the burning bush. The discussion of the term Dry Drunk, originally published in GRAPEVINE, is one that I take issue with. Not because I disagree with the points made in the article, but with the implication that total sobriety can only be achieved through AA.
I'm a member of AA and the program has saved my life. I was able to attain physical sobriety and maintain that with the emotional sobriety learned from AA. But that's me. I could never disparage anyone who has achieved the same results without AA. I do not like the phrase "only a dry drunk", and I too often hear it from addiction counselors - those who, if no one else, should never use it.
I have read pretty much everything AA has published over the years, but that's not to say I accept everything as though coming from the burning bush. The discussion of the term Dry Drunk, originally published in GRAPEVINE, is one that I take issue with. Not because I disagree with the points made in the article, but with the implication that total sobriety can only be achieved through AA.
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