When most people think of an alcoholic, they have an image of someone who has a bottle of vodka by the bed or someone who sits on a park bench swigging from a brown paper bag. But equally, an alcoholic could be a high-achieving businessperson in a smart suit.
No two alcoholics look alike, and neither do their patterns of drinking. Some people can easily go a month without drinking. But then something happens. Maybe their life becomes stressful, they reach for the alcohol and then they’re locked into a cycle of drinking a bottle of wine every night for a month, while still holding down a job and a relationship. This is known as being a high functioning alcoholic.
Functioning alcoholic definition
The term ‘functioning alcoholic’ or ‘high functioning alcoholic’ are colloquial and as such there is no official definition of a functioning alcoholic. In fact, medical professionals no longer use the term ‘alcoholic’ at all and instead use the term ‘alcohol disorder’ to cover the spectrum of people struggling with alcohol.
But, for the rest of us, the term functioning alcoholic is generally understood to refer to someone who is addicted to alcohol but is still – for a while at least – able to carry out daily work tasks, pay their bills, care for a family and maintain social relationships, while, very often, keeping their drinking problem hidden from family and friends.
However, even someone who is a functioning alcoholic is still an alcoholic and will not be able to sustain this way of living for long. That’s why the term ‘currently functioning alcoholic’ is sometimes used. How long it takes for someone’s excessive drinking habits to affect their everyday life will be different from person to person. But eventually, their health and behaviour will be affected, and they will need to seek help.
What are the signs of a functioning or high functioning alcoholic?
How do you know if someone is a functioning alcoholic?
If you’re a family member, colleague or you’re living with a functioning alcoholic, it can be hard to tell. Many high functioning alcoholics never appear drunk or binge drink. But unlike someone who just enjoys a drink, a functioning alcoholic has an addiction. They crave alcohol, they need to drink, and they will experience withdrawal symptoms if they don’t have alcohol.
Some of the signs of a functioning alcoholic include:
- Always drinking alcohol in order to feel confident or relaxed
- Choosing to drink alone or in secret
- Drinking at unusual times, for example, in the morning
- Using alcohol as a reward
- Joking about ‘drinking too much’
- Talking about cutting down on their alcohol intake but not carrying it through
- Making sure alcohol is always available to them
What a functioning alcoholic often says to hide their drinking problem
Functioning alcoholics often speak about alcohol in a certain way in order to convince themselves that nothing is wrong, and everything is under control. Comments may include:
1. ‘I drink a bottle of wine every day, but I eat well’
People who are functioning alcoholics, often fool themselves into thinking their drinking isn’t problematic because it’s their only bad habit. They may tell themselves that because they because they go to the gym, they don’t smoke, and they eat well, it’s fine to drink. But they’re kidding themselves. No amount of healthy eating can balance out the damage caused by excessive drinking.
2. ‘Yes, I drink every night, but I never get hangovers’
Very often, a high functioning alcoholic will claim they don’t get hangovers and can go to work or even work out at the gym after drinking. But what’s happened is they’ve just normalised not feeling great in the morning and just push through it. The dangerous part is that their bodies are actually really struggling and they’re not acknowledging it.
3. ‘It’s ok, I never touch spirits, I only drink wine’
Whether it’s the cheapest cider, shots of spirits or a fancy bottle of wine, it’s all the same. Alcoholism can affect anyone, whatever their taste in alcohol or their income. All alcohol is ethanol, and the liver can’t tell the difference between an expensive bottle of wine purchased from a specialist wine merchant direct from Napa Valley or a bottle of cheap plonk bought on a special deal at the off licence or grocery store.
4. ‘I’m not addicted, I just drink alcohol to help me sleep’
There are functioning alcoholics who believe they only drink alcohol to help them sleep. But it’s never a good quality night’s sleep, as often they wake up during the night, feel dehydrated, and then can’t get back to sleep. When people first give up drinking alcohol, it may be harder for them to get to sleep to start with. But it’s worth persisting as after a while, the body gets back into a natural rhythm.
5. ‘I never drink on a Monday’
If someone excuses their heavy drinking by saying they never drink on a Monday, it’s rarely a conscious lifestyle choice and more likely to be because they feel so rough from excessive drinking over the weekend. A sign of a functioning alcoholic is they might offer to drive somewhere or work late so they don’t drink that night but will congratulate themselves on not drinking.
Living with a functioning alcoholic
If you’re living with a functioning alcoholic, you may be worried about their behaviour and long-term health challenges. But it’s important to look after your own health and wellbeing too, and you’ll need ongoing support.
- Have a network of people you can rely on and can talk to about the challenges of living with a functioning alcoholic. These maybe friends and family members or people who are in a similar situation.
- Take care of your physical and mental health as much as possible so you can reduce your levels of anxiety and stress.
- Ensure you’re a positive role model by eating healthily, getting plenty of sleep and not indulging in drinking binges.
How to help a functioning alcoholic
Many functioning alcoholics do not consider themselves to be alcoholics and don’t think they have a problem with alcohol at all. If you’re living with a functioning alcoholic, it can be difficult to know where to start. You don’t want the other person to be defensive or angry when you talk to them about their drinking, so it’s important to open up the conversation in a calm and relaxed way.
- Avoid having a conversation with someone when they’re drunk, or you know they’ve been drinking. Instead, wait until they’re sober so they’re more receptive to your ideas and thoughts.
- Don’t get angry and upset. Instead be empathetic and non-judgemental and don’t blame them for being a functioning alcoholic.
- Don’t enable them by joining in with their drinking or lying on their behalf.
- Reassure them you’ll help them through their recovery journey from functioning alcoholic to sobriety.
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