Which term describes someone who is abstinent from alcohol but still exhibits behaviors and attitudes associated with active addiction?

• A. Drug dream
• B. Dry drunk
• C. Early recovery
• D. Integrated health care

Answer: (B)

This describes abstinence plus old thinking and patterns lingering from active addiction. When someone stops drinking but hasn’t done the emotional and behavioral work that recovery requires, they can look sober on the outside while still battling resentments, blaming others, selfishness, and ineffective coping. That combination keeps the underlying addiction dynamics alive, making relapse more likely even though the person isn’t drinking. The term captures the difference between simply not using substances and truly engaging in recovery activities—developing healthier thoughts, relationships, and ways of handling stress.

Other options don’t fit this situation. Early recovery refers to the initial phase after stopping drinking, during which some new skills are learned, but it doesn’t inherently describe persistent, unaddressed addict-like thinking. Integrated health care is about coordinating physical and mental health services and isn’t a label for someone’s recovery state. A drug dream is a sleep-related phenomenon or craving imagery, not a descriptor for a person’s ongoing attitudes and behaviors.