What Is A Dry Drunk?

Is A Dry Drunk Still An Alcoholic?

Referring to a person who is “dry drunk” is describing someone sober but not in recovery. They may still be behaving as if they were still drinking alcohol, or they may develop new unhealthy habits or mindsets. Ultimately, they are not learning or utilizing skills to help them stay sober.

The term “dry drunk” was coined by Alcoholics Anonymous to describe someone working only on their alcohol misuse but not working on uncovering and processing the factors that caused them to start drinking in the first place.

What Are The Symptoms Of Dry Drunk Syndrome?

The symptoms of dry drunk syndrome include thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that do not align with recovery, even if the person no longer drinks alcohol.

Symptoms clearly show a person continues to struggle with their addiction to alcohol and may include the following:

• Feeling jealousy towards people doing well in recovery
• Minimizing consequences of alcohol misuse
• Playing the victim
• Feeling anger towards those who played a role in helping them get sober
• Difficultly managing emotions or having mood swings
• Feeling restless, bored, or antsy
• Not accepting advice or guidance
• Going back to places where drinking took place
• Exhibiting other addictive behaviors

Dry drunk symptoms can be physical and are often part of post-acute withdrawal syndrome (PAWS), which can last for many months.

It can take time for the brain and body to adjust to not having alcohol. This adjustment period may include extreme mood swings, dizziness, irritability, cravings, and appearing to be drunk even though they are abstinent.

The Psychology Of Dry Drunk Syndrome: Why Does It Occur?

Dry drunk syndrome can happen to anyone with an alcohol use disorder (AUD) who stops drinking alcohol but does very little to take appropriate steps for long-term recovery. Some people are more likely to develop dry drunk syndrome, so they have a higher number of risk factors. Common risk factors for dry drunk syndrome include:

Lack Of Treatment

Anyone who quits drinking “cold turkey” and chooses not to receive treatment for an AUD is more susceptible to developing dry drunk syndrome. It is in therapy that someone learns the reasons why they had an addiction, their triggers for relapse, and new recovery skills.

Lack of good treatment can also include receiving the wrong type of treatment, not receiving treatment for co-occurring disorders, and leaving treatment before completion.

Mental Health Disorders

Having an unresolved mental health disorder is a risk factor for dry drunkenness because it can be a trigger for relapsing with alcohol. Co-occurring disorders that are most often seen with AUD include the following:

• Anxiety disorders, including generalized anxiety, social anxiety, and panic disorders
• Mood disorders, including major depressive and bipolar disorders
• Post-traumatic stress disorder
• Secondary substance use disorders
• Sleep disorders, such as insomnia, apnea, hypersomnolence, and para somnolence
• Psychotic disorders, like schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder

Most treatment centers agree that treating an alcohol use disorder and a co-occurring disorder must be done together. Otherwise, the one left untreated could become a problem that leads to a relapse. This can be especially true during a dry drunk period because people lack the skills to cope effectively.

Chemical Changes In The Brain

Having an alcohol use disorder changes how the brain functions. It alters how neurotransmitters communicate and release signals. It can take months, a year, or longer for the brain to restore itself once someone stops drinking alcohol. During the healing process, a person is vulnerable to cravings, intense urges, and obsessive thoughts.

The brain becomes used to depending on alcohol to manage neurotransmitters and will do what it can to encourage drinking again.

Lifestyle And Relationships

Recovery from an AUD involves changing lifestyle factors associated with drinking habits. It also means improving relationships or forming new bonds with healthy people.

For some, creating a new lifestyle may mean:

• Changing jobs
• Meeting new sober friends
• Attending support groups
• Attending relationship therapies, like couples and family therapy

Without a healthy lifestyle and relationships, the risk of dry drunkenness and relapse grows.

How Can You Deal With Dry Drunk Syndrome?

To heal from an alcohol addiction, a person must incorporate activities in their life that support healing. For most, this means seeking treatment and may include changing how they live, where they live, their friend groups, social activities, and anything else associated with their addictive lifestyle.

Healing from any problem begins with recognizing it. Then, it’s important to seek help from peers and professionals, follow through with treatment recommendations, incorporate healthy activities, and prioritize self-care.

Can A Dry Drunk Truly Recover?

Being sober is not the same as being in recovery. Some people in a dry drunk phase may appear to be healthy in recovery, but this is temporary. A dry drunk period usually is a sign that a person is on the verge of a relapse. Without coping skills, relapse becomes too difficult to avoid.

Fortunately, overcoming an AUD is possible with appropriate treatment, support, and lifestyle changes. A 2023 National Survey on Drug Use and Health showed that 2.2 million adults received treatment for an alcohol use disorder, highlighting that people can recover with help.

Treatment Options For Dry Drunks

Quitting drinking alone can prolong healing. However, when combined with behavioral therapies, the brain can learn new ways to cope and avoid relapse.

Many treatment options exist to overcome dry drunkenness at both the inpatient and outpatient levels. Working with a team of professionals, you can customize your treatment plan to fit your needs, with effective treatment plans often including a combination of components.

Medication-Assisted Therapy (MAT)

During a dry drunk period, a person may experience mild to severe withdrawal symptoms, which can be painful, and relapse becomes tempting.

To help mitigate these withdrawal symptoms, doctors can prescribe certain medications. Doing so helps people remain in treatment longer to learn the necessary skills for dry drunk recovery. Medicines associated with alcohol use disorder treatment include:

• Acamprosate helps ease anxiety, insomnia, racing thoughts, and other symptoms that often lead to relapse.
• Naltrexone blocks the receptors in the brain that allow a person to feel the effects of alcohol.
• Disulfiram causes discomfort, nausea, and vomiting in people who continue to drink while taking the medicine.

Medicines allow someone to maintain focus on sobriety without distracting thoughts or dry drunk behaviors that can interfere with recovery. MAT can begin within the first few days of entering treatment.

Behavioral Therapies

Behavioral therapies teach people specific skills and actions to utilize when dealing with thoughts or situations that may lead to relapse. Examples of standard behavioral therapies include:

• Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)
• Dialectical-behavioral therapy (DBT)
• Motivational enhancement therapy (MET)
• Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT)
• Contingency management (CM)

Substance abuse treatment professionals apply behavioral therapies in individual and group counseling settings. They help participants set goals, recognize and avoid triggers, improve communication, build support, and maintain recovery.

Support Therapies And Aftercare

Building a support system is critical to successful recovery. For some, this may mean meeting new friends. For others, it may mean participating in couples or family therapies to improve relationships.

Peer support is also beneficial. Attending 12-step groups like Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) introduces people to peers who can relate to their issues. Support groups help people feel less alone in their recovery journey. They are also a great way to receive feedback and healthy advice.

Additional support groups exist for those who do not want to attend 12-step facilitation groups, including:

• SMART™ Recovery
• LifeRing
• Women for Sobriety

Get Help Today

Whether you are currently struggling with an alcohol use disorder or have stopped drinking but still struggle with unhealthy thoughts and behaviors involving alcohol, treatment can help.

Explore our online therapy directory or contact a treatment provider today to learn more about your treatment options.