Alcohol use disorder (AUD) often drives people to hide their addiction and drinking habits from others. When people with an alcohol addiction hide their bottles, it is usually fueled by the need for secrecy, shame, or simply denial. Those with alcohol use disorder (AUD) typically hide their alcohol in kitchen cabinets, under the bed, in the garage, or even in the car.
Why People Hide Their Alcohol and Drinking Habits
People with an alcohol use disorder (AUD) often feel the need to hide their drinking habits and how it’s affecting them. Whether they are hiding their addiction from family members, friends, colleagues, or even themselves, it is often to maintain a sense of normalcy.
If someone’s drinking habits start to get out of control, you might begin to notice them having frequent hangovers, missing work, or acting out of character. To avoid the confrontation that their drinking habits might be problematic, they start to hide their alcohol use to paint the picture that they don’t have an issue. Other reasons may be that someone is hiding their alcohol after a loved one has brought it up to them or asked them to stop.
Many individuals with alcohol addictions are in denial about the severity of their alcohol consumption. Stashing their bottles in hidden places allows them to access their alcohol while avoiding the confrontation and consequences that come with acknowledging their problem.
Surprising Places Where Alcohol Bottles Are Hidden
Shame and fear of judgment are powerful motivators for why alcoholics hide their stash and drinking habits. Chronic alcohol abuse leaves many individuals resorting to secretive behaviors and a tendency to lie. Some of the most surprising yet familiar places people hide their alcohol is in clothing, dirty laundry baskets, toolboxes, or inside furniture.
In Clothing or Accessories
One particular place people hide alcohol is in their clothing and accessories. Many people will pour their alcohol into a small flask or even disguise it in another bottle to carry it around with them. Some may hide bottles of alcohol in their pockets, pants, coats, inside boots, or in large handbags.
Flasks that disguise alcohol can be found in everyday items like feminine products, sunscreen bottles, and more. This creation has led more individuals with AUD to hide their drinking habits and continue to consume alcohol without anyone knowing.
Bathroom Cabinets
Bathroom cabinets are another familiar hiding spot for alcohol. Medicine cabinets, old toiletry bottles, or even under the bathroom sink can be secret storage for alcohol bottles or cans. People with alcohol use disorder (AUD) usually choose these places because it’s unexpected and offers easy access when privacy is needed.
Some may also hide alcohol in disguised toothpaste bottles or switch out mouthwash with liquor. Spouses, children, or siblings often overlook the bathroom when searching for a loved one’s secret stash of alcohol.
In the Garage or Workshop
Hiding alcohol in the garage or workshop is a relatively common hiding place for individuals with alcohol use disorder (AUD), specifically fathers and husbands. Since these places typically house tools, cleaning products, and other everyday items that may camouflage the alcohol, this is a familiar spot.
At the end of a long workday, some may go into the garage or workshop to ‘get work done’ while they also drink excessively. Hiding alcohol among automotive supplies, inside toolboxes, or behind paint cans in the garage provides a sense of security for the individual struggling with the addiction. More often than not, a family member or loved one won’t bother looking in the workshop or garage for their alcohol stash.
Kitchen Pantry or Cabinets
While the kitchen is typically a common place for alcohol, hiding it in the pantry or cabinets can become a convenient spot. People with alcohol addictions might stash bottles behind food items, inside other containers, or even in cereal boxes. Storing bottles of alcohol in kitchen cabinets, primarily rarely used ones, can remain hidden from other household members.
In Furniture or Under the Bed
Hiding liquor bottles or beer bottles in furniture is another creative solution for struggling addicts wanting to hide their problems. Bottles may be hidden under sofa cushions, in blanket baskets, or inside dresser drawers under clean clothes. In laundry baskets, drawers, or closets are other places where struggling alcoholics may hide their stash of liquor or beer. Under the bed, whether in shoeboxes, old bags, or storage containers, is another common hiding spot for alcohol bottles or cans.
Vehicles
Someone struggling with alcoholism might stash their alcohol, such as flasks, bottles, or cans, inside their car. This provides an easy and mobile hiding place for their stash, allowing them to drink on their own and out of sight of loved ones. You might find bottles in glove compartments, under seats, inside trunk spaces, or even in the spare tire. At the same time, it is already of concern that they are hiding their alcohol use, but if they are drinking while driving, it raises significant safety concerns for them and others on the road.
Acknowledging the Problem: Understanding the Impact of Hiding Alcohol
Hiding bottles of alcohol and lying about drinking habits is more than just a sign and symptom of alcohol use disorder (AUD). It is also fueling the cycle of denial and secrecy, which can make recovery from alcohol addiction more challenging. Keeping secrets about your excessive alcohol consumption from loved ones damages relationships and friendships and can even break apart marriages.
Understanding the impact of hiding your drinking problem can help address the root causes fueling your addiction. Identifying and confronting the underlying aspects of your alcohol abuse and secretive behaviors allows for comprehensive healing and long-term sobriety.
Alcohol Detox and Rehab in Stuart, FL
Acknowledging that you have a problem is the first step to recovering from an alcohol use disorder (AUD). It allows you to get the treatment and support that you need to heal and break the cycle of alcohol abuse. For those trying to support a loved one who is hiding and struggling with alcohol addiction, Coastal is here for you.
Our alcohol detox facility in South Florida offers alcohol detox programs and addiction treatment in Stuart. Contact us today.
References:
- Cleveland Clinic, 2023. Addiction.
- American Psychological Association, 2012. Understanding alcohol use disorders and their treatment.
- Verywell Mind, 2023. Why People With Addiction Lie.
- Mayo Clinic, 2022. Alcohol use disorder.