Hilary Betts - Addiction and Trauma Therapist

26/02/2026

26/02/2026

A “dry drunk” is a slang or street term sometimes used in recovery circles to describe someone who has stopped using substances but hasn’t addressed the underlying behaviors, thinking patterns, or emotional issues connected to their substance use.

It’s not a clinical diagnosis. It’s more of a recovery-community phrase.

What people usually mean by it:
Someone who:
-Is abstinent but still angry, resentful, or blaming
-Has rigid, black-and-white thinking
-Struggles with emotional regulation
-Avoids self-reflection or growth work
-Feels stuck, bitter, or disconnected
-Replaces substance use with other compulsive behaviors (work, control, relationships, etc.)

In short: the substance is gone, but the suffering hasn’t shifted much.

Important
The term can feel judgmental when used carelessly. Many people prefer to say:
“Untreated recovery”
“White-knuckling it”
“Early emotional recovery”
“Still healing”

via Sober Not Boring.

sobriety

24/02/2026

Have you heard of “Opening Our Hearts, Transforming Our Losses” (B-29) from Al-Anon Family Groups? Grief and loss affect almost every aspect of living- or having lived-with alcoholism. In this book, Al-Anon members share how they have learned to acknowledge and accept these losses and improve the quality of their daily lives.

If you are dealing with feelings of grief, check it out. It might help you too. You can read a sample at:

🔹 https://al-anon.org/for-members/members-resources/literature/feature-publications/opening-our-hearts-transforming-our-losses/

24/02/2026

From the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous

24/02/2026