What is a 'Dry Drunk'?

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"Someone who is no longer drinking but is not happy with life. This person usually still has his/her alcoholic mindset but not the booze"

I stopped going to that AA meeting downtown because it was mostly full of dry drunks.

Urban Dictionary: http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Dry+Drunk

Dry Drunk syndrome is especially true for people that started abusing alcohol at an early age.

The commonality of those who started drinking and doing drugs as teens is that their mentality may still be stuck at the age of 14.

When a person quits drinking they need to learn how to think again, this time with a sober brain instead of a psychically toxic one. It takes about a year for the brain to 'decompress' from the literal harm that alcohol has done to the brain and many more years to learn how to rethink and learn new behaviors.

Approaching sobriety is not only about putting aside alcohol but learning how to live life again and work with our psyche instead of against it.

Here are some other articles and thoughts on Dry Drunk Syndrome:

Dry Drunk Syndrome - AlcoholRehab.com

What is Dry Drunk Syndrome? - MyVictoryCenter.com

Is There a "Dry Drunk" in Your Life? - Psychology Today

http://www.myvictorycenter.com/what-is-dry-drunk-syndrome/