Thursday, March 29, 2018

Is Donald Trump a "dry alcoholic?"

Put simply, a "dry alcoholic" is someone who doesn't drink, but who still acts like a drunk. Remember, Trump had a brother who died of alcoholism. And Trump steadfastly abstains from booze, we're told. 

The symptoms of a dry alcoholic? Well, consider this from the website of a rehab clinic called Northpoint Recovery.

Without these changes, a “white-knuckling” person who is still behaving in dysfunctional ways is jeopardizing their sobriety, and they are little more than a “ticking time bomb.”
  • Grandiosity/Superiority – A dry drunk is self-centered, in much the same way that they were self-centered when they were actively drinking and drug-seeking.
    • A constant need to be the center of attention
    • Acting better or smarter than everyone else around them
    • Playing the “victim”
    • Believing that they are so unique that no one could possibly ever relate to them
  • Impulsivity– Again, in much the same way as during active addiction, the dry drunk is unable to delay gratification. They want what they want when they want it, regardless of the consequences.
  • Judgmental –Believing that they are superior, dry drunks will see everything and everyone around them as polar opposites – “Black or White” or “good or bad”, with emphasis on negativity.
  • Intolerance –Related to superiority, dry drunks refuse to hear opinions or suggestions from anyone else. In their minds, they ALWAYS know best.
  • Isolation –Dry drunks look for and magnify differences between themselves and those around them. This “separation mentality” can leave the individual without a strong support system.
  • Boredom/Dissatisfaction – After the initial “rush” of newly-rediscovered sobriety, a person can get bored when they settle into a routine. When their sober life isn’t instantly perfect, they may even start to wonder why they got sober in the first place.
  • Nostalgia –A dry drunk starts reminiscing – inaccurately – about the “fun” that they used to have – freedom, drinking/drug buddies, lack of responsibilities, etc. 
Mood Swings– As all of these symptoms start to come together, the dry drunk can start to become emotionally listless and aloof – as if nothing matters to them or makes a difference. Alternately, they can overreact and blow up with very little provocation
  • Does that sound like, umm, anybody we know?

2 comments:

Gerald Parks said...

YEAH ... and THIS mother fucker IS crazy!
For real!

Anonymous said...

While this description of a particular kind of behavior is straight outta the AA bible, there’s really no scientific basis for it. It’s unfair to people with Alcohol Use Disorders to compare us with Trump. As Gerald Parks said the mother fucker IS crazy.