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Could I Be a 'Dry Drunk'? What Is A Dry Drunk Anyway?

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What exactly does the term 'dry drunk' mean?

 

The terms dry drunk or dry drunk syndrome are often tossed around. But what is a dry drunk, exactly? It is not a medical diagnosis, but rather a distinction between an alcoholic who is simply not drinking and one in active alcohol recovery.

Confused yet? Are we splitting hairs? If I am not drinking that is enough, right? In order to be active and growing in addiction recovery, we must work on the addictive mind set.

Just keep on reading and hopefully the question of what is a dry drunk will be answered for you. 

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Dry Drunk Info Around the Web 

Dry Drunk Syndrome

The classic maneuver of the dry drunk is over-reac more...0 points

Dry Drunk - Dry Drunk Syndrome

They haven't had a drink in years, but still haven more...0 points

http://www.answers.com/topic/dry-drunk

Answers.com provides a lot of definitions and dire more...0 points

Dry Drunk Relating To Relapse 

What is a dry drunk, and the 'dry drunk syndrome' as it is sometimes called? It can best be described as someone who fits one of two conditions. The first is someone who has given up drinking and drugging and not made any internal or emotional changes, they stay the same but the substance is gone. Or in the second case what was once someone abstinent and on a progressive path of recovery has slowly returned to chaotic and unrealistic thinking.

Being active in your addiction sets up many trains of thought, attitudes, feelings, and actions that are problematic. Simply removing the alcohol or drugs without changing these underlying factors will produce a dry drunk syndrome. The dry drunk really refers to a condition and not the person. It is important to recognize a reversion back to our old ways of thinking and acting, or lack of progress in moving forward in recovery.

The dry drunk can be a precursor to the beginnings of relapse, the AA Big Book describes this condition as being "restless, irritable, and discontented". This set of attitudes can apply to anyone who is chemically dependent, or even those were not.

Spirituality And The Dry Drunk 

In the 12 step program there is a lot of talk about it being a spiritual program, and people having spiritual awakenings. This is actually a 'Dry Drunk' changing his attitudes and personality.

Hear me out on this. The original AA authors added an Appendix on the spiritual experience from which I quote "The terms "spiritual experience" and "spiritual awakening" are used many times in this book which upon careful reading, shows the personality change sufficent to bring about recovery..."

A dry drunk is someone who has NOT effected a personality change, thus will not recover. They stopped drinking but have done no work on 'issues'. Their chances are less than those who begin to address personality issues.

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Comments, Ideas, Questions? 

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JosephDiego wrote...

Gerald-Mark Here are" the most intelligent and gifted of therapists" (GOD) Group of Drunks. And you can find them at any A.A. Meeting. Great lens Bill. JosephDiego
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ReplyPosted November 18, 2008

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Gerald-Mark Breen wrote

I am not, and never have been, an alcoholic. I have been a witness to alcoholism and the general mental and social effects it produces in the lives of the users and related others. I believe that alcoholism is a manifestation of a much deeper, underlying psychological malady. Yet, when the alcohol consumption stops, other behaviors surface that may be just as negative as the alcoholic behavior. Cognition restructing at the core level has to be executed. Only the most intelligent and gifted of therapists are capable of bringing such victims out of the entire dungeon of the syndromes that surround both alcoholism and any other type of addiction.

Reply Posted June 01, 2008

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ReplyPosted February 22, 2008

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billurell

About billurell

Hello. I'm Bill Urell,an addictions therapist at a leading residential treatment center. I teach healthy life styles and life skills. I have 15 years recovery myself. I recently moved South for the warm weather and beaches and am loving it!

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