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Dry drunks, while not necessarily needing access to the best hangover cure in Palm Beach, are still those who can benefit from taking a good hard look at the way they treat others. In groups like Alcoholics Anonymous, those who are addicted to drugs or alcohol are asked to confront many of the things they did while they were under the influence or using. This can be an incredibly difficult thing to do. You are essentially being asked to address the ugliest parts of your history. While for many, it could be easier just to disavow the person they once were by saying they’ve turned over a new leaf and quit drinking or using drugs, that doesn’t necessarily mean they’ve become the person they want to be.

Understanding the Concept of a Dry Drunk

According to R.J. Solberg, a dry drunk is someone who may have stopped drinking but has still carried over many of the attitudes and behaviors that they had while they were drinking. This includes behaviors like:

  • Being abusive in relationships
  • Manipulating people
  • Taking advantage of people

These are people who have yet to deal with the emotional baggage that led them to become an alcoholic or abuse drugs in the first place. They carry that emotional baggage into their relationships without necessarily having access to a coping mechanism.

For many folks who find their way in twelve-step programs, their drug and alcohol abuse was their coping mechanism. In the process of self-medicating in this way, they found that their lives became unmanageable. Their relationships were strained. Their employment situation was damaged. They may have lost access to their kids.

Once they lose access to their (unhealthy) coping mechanism, the same problems they had beforehand come back to the surface.

 

Symptoms of Dry Drunk Syndrome

Those who are said to be ‘dry drunks’ may hold resentments toward the people closest to them. They may also harbor anger towards their alcohol recovery and those who are trying to help them. Both depression and anxiety are very common. They may be jealous and angry at those who are not dealing with addiction problems. They may romanticize their days of using and, very often, replace the one addiction with another.

Detoxing is not the Same As Recovery

While it’s impossible to get into the complexity of addiction recovery here, your main takeaway from this should be that detoxing is not the same as recovery. Recovery is a process that takes years and it is fraught with many hurdles. Recovery means acknowledging that you have fallen short of your own goals and hurt people along the way. By reconciling yourself with your past and building a future you can be proud of, you can legitimately claim you have beaten your addiction.

The Hangover Hospital Can Help

While the Hangover Hospital Key West can’t help you with addiction recovery, we can help you with your hangover. Our patented method of treating hangovers will have you feeling right as rain in 45 minutes!

Call us now (305) 912-4911