Many people with AUDs decide to have further treatment and support, such as attending group therapy, individual counseling, or support groups. The more a person drinks, the more at risk they are of developing severe alcohol use disorder. People should note that the term “high functioning alcoholic” is no longer in use within the medical community. This is due to the potentially stigmatizing language around the word “alcoholic”, which may also prevent someone from seeking help and support. Sometimes an HFA many become defensive and express that they are unwilling to seek help for their drinking.
How to approach your loved one
Because these indicators tend to appear gradually over time, they can be challenging to identify, as well as to connect directly to drinking. Denial is such that the individual tries to believe there is no serious problem that needs to be addressed. Generally, functioning alcoholics are convinced that they have everything under control and are often able to convince others of the same. As alcohol use increases, high-functioning alcoholics may begin to cancel appointments or other engagements in an effort to hide hangovers, withdrawal symptoms, and other indications of addiction. The professional lives of high-functioning alcoholics are often challenging and stressful. This can become a vicious circle in which going out for drinks provides a temporary escape from stressors.
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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. People who are high functioning with a drinking problem “seem to have everything together,” says Matt Glowiak, PhD, LCPC, a certified advanced alcohol and drug counselor. They’re able to successfully manage tasks around their work, school, https://sober-home.org/treatment-for-alcohol-problems-finding-and-getting/ family, and finances, he says. Consider speaking to your primary care provider about your concerns or attending a support group as a first step. If someone you are close to is living with alcohol use disorder, you may be looking for ways to help them cope with the impacts of their disease on your own life. Below are some signs that you or someone you love may be living with alcohol use disorder.
How to support your loved one in getting help and getting healthy
Keep that idea in mind while you approach the topic of alcohol abuse and addiction. Even if you feel that you are still in control of your life and your work or relationships aren’t visibly suffering, a relatively mild alcohol use disorder could already be affecting your mental and physical health. Left unmanaged, compulsive drinking behaviors can get progressively worse, with their negative impact on your life becoming ever more apparent. HFAs https://sober-home.org/ typically do not realize the extent to which their drinking affects others. The fact that they are “functioning” and able to go to work, excel in academics, provide for their family and still drink excessively feeds their denial. They believe that their drinking only impacts themselves, that they deserve to drink because of their hard work or stress, and that if life appears “put together” on the outside that they are entitled to keep drinking.
Relationships and Social Life
There are many rehab centers and support groups, both online and in-person, for people who are working to achieve sobriety. If you’re ready to get started, contact a treatment provider today to learn more about your treatment options. A “functional alcoholic” (or “high-functioning alcoholic”) isn’t a formal medical diagnosis, but a term used colloquially to describe a person who is dependent upon alcohol but can still function in society. The term “currently-functioning” may be used since it’s not likely they will remain functional (and not misuse alcohol) indefinitely.
Get help for alcoholism today.
And yet alcoholism—more accurately called “alcohol use disorder”—falls along a spectrum that ranges from mild to severe. People with severe cases might look like the stereotypical alcoholic. But with people who have mild or moderate alcohol use disorder, the signs might not be so obvious. They pay their bills, hold down good jobs and maintain relationships with family and friends while they continue to drink. Functional alcoholics are often intelligent, hardworking and well-educated.
The recovery process from Substance Use Disorders (SUDs) has evolved over time. It also shifts for individuals throughout the course of their sobriety. It passes slowly when times are tough and moves too quickly when life is smooth.
- 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.
- The face of the alcoholic needs to be changed and the walls of denial must be broken down in order that alcoholics everywhere can receive proper diagnosis and treatment.
- Whether your loved one agrees or not, their actions affect you and you deserve outside support.
- The evaluation consists of 11 yes or no questions that are intended to be used as an informational tool to assess the severity and probability of an AUD.
- As a result, being able to fulfill job duties adequately does little to discourage them from continued patterns of alcohol abuse.
‘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. It’s important to recognize that recovery is a personal and unique experience. While every story differs, the common thread is the courage to seek help and the determination to pursue a sober life, regardless of the challenges posed by high-functioning alcoholism. Recovery from high-functioning alcoholism is a multifaceted journey that extends beyond initial treatment, requiring a strong commitment to long-term sobriety. Groundbreaking research indicates that sustained abstinence from alcohol can lead to significant recovery of brain function and structural health.
By Buddy TBuddy T is a writer and founding member of the Online Al-Anon Outreach Committee with decades of experience writing about alcoholism. Because he is a member of a support group that stresses the importance of anonymity at the public level, he does not use his photograph or his real name on this website. In the short term, alcohol use increases the risk for alcohol poisoning, fetal alcohol syndrome, accidents, injuries, violence, and risky sexual behavior.
If you make it clear that your loved one’s drinking is leading you to put distance in your relationship, it may have an impact as well as protect you from the emotional toll of having an active alcoholic in your life. They can assess your symptoms and offer next steps, whether this is treatment or other methods of support. Groups like Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) or Drinkline offer free, confidential, over-the-phone advice and support for people who are concerned about their drinking. You might hear the term ‘currently functioning’ used to emphasise that a person’s ability to function right now is unlikely to last. 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. Furthermore, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) highlights the public health implications of excessive alcohol use, including deaths from conditions fully attributable to alcohol use.
The first step for most people is detox, which means quitting alcohol. A detox may take place at a hospital or inpatient facility, such as rehab. The National Institute of Health suggests that loved ones should start by talking about their concerns.
Express an openness to talk about their drinking, provide support and establish boundaries. Make it clear to him that you will not support their drinking or unhealthy behaviors, and you will not share in the consequences. For anyone who’s concerned about a loved one’s drinking, please find a community of support like Al-Anon. Whether your loved one agrees or not, their actions affect you and you deserve outside support. Other alternatives include group or individualized therapy, consulting educational resources and books, or attending online support groups. Recovery from substance use disorders (SUDs) is an ongoing process and those fortunate to have long-term recovery share one thing in common—an ability to recommit.
“In some families, drinking too much is seen as comical, not a big deal, or a must during celebrations,” she adds. Consequently, many people may not realize their drinking has become a genuine problem. “For example, you may notice your spouse drinking more beers at dinner, sleeping less and less, and increasingly on edge well before they start missing workdays,” Grawert adds. You suspect your spouse, close friend, or relative has a drinking problem.
If they’re not receptive, keep trying — and set boundaries to protect your own well-being. Instead, she recommends seeking more formal support with Al-Anon or therapy to help you create boundaries and care for yourself. “Always approach a loved one from a place of support and desire to help them, instead of leading with judgment or anger,” says Omar Elhaj, MD, a senior medical director at LifeStance Health.
With these interventions, people can find health and happiness in sobriety. Setting specific sobriety goals, as suggested by recovered.org, can provide focus and accountability, increasing the likelihood of successful recovery. Long-term recovery plans, such as 12-step programs and ongoing therapy, are crucial for maintaining sobriety and preventing relapse.
Binge drinking is defined as having four or more beverages in one drinking episode for women and five or more beverages for men (a typical drinking episode is around two hours). Nearly 20% of alcoholics are highly functional and well-educated with good incomes. Because these types of users appear stable and mostly unaffected by their drinking, the steps to effectively confront a functioning alcoholic and work with them on their behaviors can be even more difficult.
What might look like denial may actually be a lot more complicated and multilayered for people with high-functioning AUD. Being able to carry out regular responsibilities with AUD is not the same as being free of the disease. Alcohol use disorder can still have a significant impact on a person’s life, even if they appear to be coping from the outside. These criteria are often internal struggles, not observable to others.
Research indicates that workplace interventions can be effective in the primary prevention of alcohol abuse, benefiting both employees and employers. The implementation of brief intervention sessions by occupational health professionals has shown promise in reducing alcohol-related issues at work. With high-functioning alcoholics, the negative consequences of their drinking may be obscured by their outward successes.
Despite their seemingly controlled exterior, high-functioning alcoholics face an increased risk of long-term health complications, including hormonal imbalances, malnutrition, and sleep disorders. The term is somewhat controversial, as it implies a level of control or sustainability that may not exist, and it may contribute to denial and delayed treatment seeking. High-functioning alcoholism, a subset of alcohol use disorders (AUD), presents unique challenges in identification due to the individual’s ability to maintain outward appearances of normalcy.
The COVID-19 pandemic saw an increase in alcohol-attributable deaths, potentially linked to stress, loneliness, and social isolation, factors that could also affect the prevalence of high-functioning alcoholism. High-functioning alcoholics effectively live a double life wherein they appear highly functional on the outside but are anxious, depressed, angry, and preoccupied with their next opportunity to drink on the inside. To cope with your stress, you may want to attend a support group for family and friends of people with alcohol use disorder (such as Al-Anon) or consider therapy.