There are also subtypes of alcoholism, one of which is functional alcoholism. When confronted about their drinking issues, some alcoholics are capable of providing seemingly reasonable and rational explanations for why they drink so much or so often. Often, this will involve issues that everyone deals with in their own way, so it’s not a big leap of logic to believe that someone might have a few drinks What are the side effects of the birth control pill to take the edge off. Some common explanations for drinking might include too much stress at work, dealing with unruly kids, or even something like alcohol helping them fall asleep after a long day.
Spithoff, Sheryl, MD CCFP, et al. “Primary care management of alcohol use disorder and at-risk drinking.” NIH National Library of Medicine, June 2015. The development of tolerance can occur when someone regularly uses alcohol. Tolerance is one of the signs used to diagnose an AUD, and it may be one of the earliest apparent symptoms. The term tolerance refers to a lowered effect of alcohol with repeated exposure.
However, I was ready to hear their concerns and fears genuinely, and after four years of trying to control my drinking, had finally accepted that I was an alcoholic. Genetic or environmental factors can cause high-functioning alcoholism. For example, a family history of alcoholism or a stressful environment. They might also isolate themselves from other people to spend time drinking alone. Although they can live a perfectly normal life, they can still benefit from professional help. Without help, their AUD can worsen and cause long-term health and social problems.
What Are the Signs of Pancreatitis from Alcohol?
If you’re the loved one of someone in either group, it’s important to know how to deal with an alcoholic effectively if you want to help them get well. It can lead to liver disease, pancreatitis, some forms of cancer, brain damage, serious memory loss, and high blood pressure. It also makes someone more likely to die in a car wreck or from murder or suicide. And any alcohol abuse raises the odds of domestic violence, child abuse and neglect, and fetal alcohol syndrome. You may hear them called “functional” or “high-functioning” alcoholics. But those aren’t official medical terms. A functional alcoholic often consumes as much alcohol as someone with an alcohol use disorder.
Find the Help You or Your Loved One Needs
Although a person with high-functioning alcoholism may appear fine, they are not. The signs and symptoms listed above should be a good indicator of high-functioning alcoholism. BetterHelp can connect you to an addiction and mental health counselor. Sometimes, only the people close to them will notice their problematic drinking patterns. Because of this appearance, their problem doesn’t seem as severe as other types of alcoholism.
Mixing Weed and Alcohol: Effects and Risks
This is part of their personality where they feel like they can handle their drinking on their own without getting help from others. Another common sign of high-functioning alcoholics is that they are able to separate their drinking from other parts of their life. Who they are when they’re at home, work, or with casual acquaintances is completely different from who they are when they’re in the routine of drinking. Because concealment is a huge part of their addiction, high-functioning alcoholics often feel shame or remorse after incidents where their behavior is sloppy after drinking. This type of reckless behavior isn’t part of the image they’ve worked so hard to create, and in turn, they work harder to avoid mistakes in the future.
What is a “High-Functioning” Alcoholic?
They drink alcohol with every meal and often carry alcohol with them. By Sarah Bence, OTR/LBence is an occupational therapist with a range of work experience in mental healthcare settings. Drinking alone or being secretive about drinking can be another sign of alcohol use disorder. Drinking alcohol at unconventional times—such as early in the day or at gatherings where nobody else is drinking—is another hallmark of this disease.
- But if someone in your life has three or more alcoholic beverages per day (two or more for women), they are consuming more than the recommended amount.U.S.
- Perhaps the most difficult component of managing a high-functioning alcoholic is their belief that there isn’t a problem.
- They frequently have alcohol, talk about it, and spend money on it.
- They’ll binge drink on weekends to ensure they have no obligations the following day.
The way people with alcohol use disorder present in their day-to-day lives varies significantly. Media portrayal of people with alcohol use disorder is often stereotypical and does not accurately reflect the complexity of alcoholism as a disease. A doctor can check a person’s drinking levels and recommend further treatment options.
Your doctor may also conduct imaging tests if other laboratory studies come back abnormal. For example, a computed tomography (CT) scan tests for liver enlargement, which can occur after years of chronic drinking. Your doctor may order this test if your blood tests indicate abnormal liver functioning. However, this and other related misnomers such as “functional alcoholic” are no longer used because of the potential stigma that can prevent someone from seeking help.
