What does it mean to be a 'dry drunk'?
Addiction & Recovery
A 'dry drunk' refers to someone who has stopped drinking but hasn't addressed the underlying emotional issues, often remaining irritable and unhappy.
The term 'dry drunk' is an informal term from recovery journey communities that describes someone who has stopped drinking alcohol but hasn't addressed the underlying emotional and psychological issues that contributed to their addiction. They might be sober, but they may still exhibit behaviors like irritability, resentment, dishonesty, and emotional immaturity. True recovery support involves not just abstinence, but also emotional personal development and learning new coping skills. If you feel like you're just white-knuckling sobriety without finding any joy, it might be time to explore deeper therapeutic work.