Good Friend, Bad Drunk

Dear Gentlemen,

I have a great friend, whose company I really enjoy. But his personality completely changes when he has had a few too many. What should I do?

With Great Concern,

Conflicted in Colorado Springs

Dear Conflicted,
Where a true friend is involved, you owe him honesty. And you need to take care in choosing how to tell him that you don’t like drinking with him.

If he’s just a bad drunk, then it may be a matter of simply not drinking with him. You can do dozens of other things together, just not drink. But if his boorishness is part of a bigger problem, then offer to work with him through some kind of recovery program. Even if he doesn’t want to do it, you may have planted a valuable seed.

Interventionally,

The Gentleman