Functional alcoholics are often intelligent, hardworking and well-educated. Their professional status or personal success can make it hard to approach them about having a “problem” with alcohol. Alcohol abuse can sometimes be confusing and difficult to spot, especially if a person appears to be capable of doing everything they need to maintain core aspects of their lives. They may perform well at work, have a pristine appearance and enjoy an active social life.
Finding Help For Alcoholism And Functioning Alcoholics
In fact, families often don’t know how to help them because there doesn’t appear to be a problem – because they’re still functioning well, there’s no cause for concern. They have become adept at hiding their drinking and they may even be unaware that they have a problem because they don’t fit the stereotype. It can also be very helpful to take a look at some of the physical and behavioral symptoms of alcoholism, which are detailed elsewhere on this page. Even if a quiz doesn’t recognize you as an alcoholic, you probably know yourself best. ” as long as you’re informed and willing to admit to having a problem.
- Alcohol then becomes a coping mechanism to reduce stress and make up for their lack of social connections.
- Although they may appear to be healthy and functional, without treatment, their condition could get worse.
- Those symptoms are usually so painful alcoholics can’t stand to deal with them even for a short time, and tend to relapse quickly if left without expert help.
- However, addiction is a constant urge, so they sometimes relapse and return to old habits.
Are You or a Loved One a Functioning Alcoholic? Know the Signs
People with alcohol use disorder often have disturbed behavior, and alcohol is usually getting in the way of their development—whether that development is biological or psychological. Alcohol use disorder is an incredibly dangerous, debilitating, and destructive disease. You might know someone who seems to struggle with their relationship to alcohol—but who also seems to have it together in most other areas of life. If there is someone you worry might be masking the reality of their struggle, one good place to start is to learn the signs of a functioning alcoholic. You’ll also gain a better understanding of how you might be able to help them help themselves. This will ultimately be a step towards freeing themselves of addiction and ensure they are able to start living life to their fullest potential.
Non-high functioning signs
This is a red flag if they become aggressive, argumentative, or reckless or frequently engage in risky behaviors such as intoxicated driving. There may be many reasons why someone is hesitant to seek help — from lack of awareness to stigma and shame. In addition to supporting your own mental health, this serves as a role model to your loved one. In short, “there’s not a single image of AUD,” points out Sabrina Spotorno, a clinical social worker and alcoholism and substance abuse counselor at Monument.
“I don’t have a problem with alcohol.” This is the first in a string of denials that the high-functioning alcoholic is adept at making. Once the habit of daily drinking has taken hold, even if no other outwardly discernible problems are present, the functioning alcoholic is already on the downward spiral. Excessive drinking and alcohol dependence will eventually lead to severe consequences like losing their job and damaging important relationships with their partners and family. Often people think of an alcoholic as an individual whose life is falling apart. The fact is many people who have alcohol use disorders are keeping their lives together pretty well, even living highly successful lives.
Here’s why high-functioning alcoholism is dangerous
If you find yourself defending your drinking a lot, it’s time to take a closer look at your substance use. Maybe friends or family say you need to cut back or your drinking may have even given your coworkers or boss cause for concern. Even though you may be able to function better than others on large amounts of alcohol, the long-term psychological and physical effects can be damaging and deadly. A person who drinks excessively, whether or not they monitor it, is doing damage to their physical body.
- As a result, being able to fulfill job duties adequately does little to discourage them from continued patterns of alcohol abuse.
- These setups can also work along with 12-step programs such as Alcoholics Anonymous.
- Consequently, many people may not realize their drinking has become a genuine problem.
- Alcohol addiction can have a devastating effect on someone’s life, but how long it takes someone’s drinking problem to affect their daily functioning will differ from person to person.
- One of the indications that a person may be struggling in this area is the inability to stop drinking before intoxication.
- Even once they do recognize the problem, they fail to get the help they need.
Seeing the Signs of a Functioning Alcoholic? Windward Way Recovery Can Help
Liver damage is the most talked about physical consequence and that is a concern almost immediately. Alcoholics can go on to develop heart, respiratory and gastrointestinal disorders. There can also be declines in their mental and overall health, especially if they’re not eating healthy diets or engaging in physical activity. As their reliance on alcohol functional alcoholic husband increases, you may begin to notice that your loved one downplays the role alcohol has in their lives and makes excuses for their actions, especially their drinking. Although they may appear to be healthy and functional, without treatment, their condition could get worse. Although a person with high-functioning alcoholism may appear fine, they are not.
This limits their lifespan and impacts the quality of their lives. It’s a myth to believe that because they seem to be able to “control” their drinking, it’s not doing harm to them. One key way to link a functioning alcoholic to their addiction is by looking at the quantity of consumption.
Get Support From Others
After all, you don’t want to disrupt the parts of their life that are actually working. But in order to stay healthy and get the addict help, you need to seek out the support of other people. Go to a support group for people who love alcoholics, like Al-Anon, or speak to a counselor or therapist.
