by Hannah Rice Myers

Created on: November 20, 2011   Last Updated: November 21, 2011

Alcohol addiction lends credence to startling statistics. For instance, nearly 14 million Americans abuse alcohol, while almost 100,000 deaths each year are a result of this disease.

In fact, alcohol addiction is the third leading cause of preventable mortality in the United States, according to the website, Alcohol Addiction. What these stats don't tell you about are the health, legal, financial and personal repercussions alcohol abuse causes. It is possible to overcome your addiction using various treatment and therapeutic methods. However, you must first admit you are an alcoholic and open your mind, body and spirit to treatment to achieve success. Becoming sober with a closed mind leads to a condition known as dry drunk syndrome.

Many believe, and rightly so, that if an alcoholic is now "dry," he is sober, thus successfully turning his life around. Unfortunately the mere physical act of putting a glass of wine down, or swearing off beer forever, is sometimes not enough. This is simply going through the motions of ending your addiction. To successfully treat your disease, you must admit you have a problem, prepare and commit to lifelong changes, set goals, form a strong support group and seek the right treatment for yourself.

Can you overcome your addiction with weekly Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, or do you require the help of an addiction counselor? Unless you ask yourself these questions and have definitive answers, you may be at risk for developing dry drunk syndrome.

The length of time you are sober means nothing more than the number of days you are sober if you experience dry drunk syndrome. It is nothing to be proud of simply because you still think and behave as the addict you were. Common characteristics of dry drunk syndrome include exaggerating your self-importance, possible anger management problems and becoming excessively judgemental.

You may require instantant fulfillment of your personal desires; this replaces the gratification alcohol used to provide. An inability to fulfill your desires can lead to impulsiveness, which can then lead to indecisiveness, explains The Alcoholism Guide. This indecisiveness ultimately results in poor decision making, as you may not consider the implications your decisions will have on your life.

Perhaps the greatest danger dry drunk syndrome poses is the tendency to relapse. It is, in fact, the most prominent sign that relapse is on the horizon. Recognizing the signs of this syndrome is vital, though, as it is possible to prevent relapse from occurring.

You may require a more intense treatment plan that includes visiting a therapist who can assist you with the behavioral and cognitive changes necessary to overcome your addiction for good. If you do not feel comfortable speaking with a therapist, talk to someone you trust, such as your AA sponsor, or a recovering alcoholic who understands what you are going through. Checking into a treatment center is yet another option. You do not need to be an active alcoholic to take advantage of all a treatment center can offer you.

You can, and should be, proud of the sobriety you have achieved. Making the primary goal in your life to remain sober is sometimes challenging, but is a challenge worth taking on. 

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