It can also ultimately lead to relationship difficulties as well as legal and financial problems. Get the help you need from a therapist near you–a FREE service from Psychology Today.
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- But most high-functioning alcoholics have friends or loved ones who help them cover up the consequences of their drinking.
- The earlier an intervention is sought, the better the outcomes for many people.
- However, certain behavioral and physical symptoms may provide clues.
- Another common sign of high-functioning alcoholics is that they are able to separate their drinking from other parts of their life.
- Someone with functioning alcoholism is still meeting most or all of their responsibilities and obligations at home and work.
- High-functioning alcoholics may not suffer obvious external negative consequences for their alcohol use problem.
- It is important to know that an AUD is a chronic but treatable disease.
As their reliance on alcohol 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. Consider speaking to your primary care provider about your concerns or attending a support group as a first step. Someone with alcohol use disorder may struggle to cut back on drinking or quit, either when trying to do so themselves or when asked by others to try. These criteria are often internal struggles, not observable to others. Someone can live with alcohol use disorder without anyone else noticing. People with alcohol use disorder are dependent on alcohol, but that does not mean that they drink every day.
Getting help for functioning alcoholism
Daily drinking can have serious consequences for a person’s health, both in the short- and long-term. Many of the effects of drinking every day can be reversed through early intervention. Although an intervention can take many forms, many of these meetings open with each participant stating how the alcoholic’s behavior has harmed or disappointed them. The alcoholic is then presented with a plan of care, including a proposal of consequences if they decide to refuse.
How High Functioning Alcoholism Differs from Traditional Alcoholism
People can have a varied reaction and tolerance to alcohol and that doesn’t necessarily mean they are alcoholics. However, as functioning alcoholics drink more regularly, they develop a higher tolerance. They still want to feel the buzz or numb out from their problems for a while, so they will begin drinking more as their tolerance to alcohol increases. Sometimes, people with alcohol use disorder don’t recognize their drinking is an issue, especially if they meet their work and home life responsibilities despite their alcohol dependence. As such, they may justify their drinking as a normal part of life—even though it isn’t.
Drinking Alone, Secretly, or at Unconventional Times
Early intervention, therapy, and a strong support system are key to overcoming addiction. Identifying a high-functioning alcoholic can be challenging due to their ability to maintain a seemingly normal life. However, certain behavioral and physical symptoms may provide clues. These people have jobs, active social lives, or happy families at home. It is not uncommon for individuals with AUD to experience conflict with family and friends, and have drinking negatively impact their job, schooling, and overall safety. For this reason, these factors are a part of the diagnostic criteria.
High Functioning Alcoholism: Signs, Treatment, and Impact on Relationships
- A medical or addiction treatment professional can go over the symptoms someone is experiencing and assess where they could fall on the AUD spectrum.
- Every morning I would get up, pour about seven cups of coffee into a thermos, and proceed to do seven shows a day for teenagers who often did not have reading The Crucible as a top priority.
- They say things like, “we can’t let these drinks go to waste” or “rehab is for quitters.” They laugh about how much alcohol they consume on a daily basis and try to make light of a serious situation.
- In reality, a high-functioning alcoholic may be experiencing a great deal of stress while they maintain their drinking and all the dressings of a socially accepted lifestyle.
When you’re ready to seek help, or if you have questions about how to live with an alcoholic, we’re here for you. In reality, a high-functioning alcoholic may be experiencing a great deal of stress while they maintain their drinking and all the dressings of a socially accepted lifestyle. So the appearance of functioning may be carefully manufactured to keep their alcohol use disorder (alcoholism) unchecked and unaddressed. So it becomes difficult to ascertain the true relationship that they have with alcohol. If you know a high-functioning alcoholic, you have the power to make a difference. The best way for someone to help a high-functioning alcoholic is to have a forthright conversation with them about their addiction.
Expert reveals eight major warning signs you could be a ‘high-functioning alcoholic’
While they may seem OK to the outside world, it’s likely that warning signs and symptoms are appearing elsewhere. ‘High-functioning alcoholics’, or ‘functioning alcoholic’, are colloquial terms for someone who’s dependent on alcohol but is still able to function relatively effectively in their daily life. They’ll be able to continue doing many of their daily tasks like going to work and looking after family members. Instead of staying at a treatment center, you’ll remain at home but have a regular therapy schedule and other treatment options. If you or your specific treatment provider feel it will be beneficial, medication management may also be incorporated into an outpatient program.
If you suggest they see a mental health professional or get professional treatment advice, they’ll get angry or avoid the conversation entirely. The reason people with alcohol functional alcoholic husband use disorders conceal how much they drink is that they feel guilty or bad about it. They know they have a problem at a subconscious level, but they aren’t ready to face it.
