However, once they do, they can turn into chronic and life-altering health issues. What makes a functioning alcoholic different is that they believe their ability to maintain a normal life keeps them from being an alcoholic. They may be fantastic parents, great students or promising employees, but they still need alcohol to get through their daily routine. A typical alcoholic is less able to keep their problem with alcohol separate and hidden. “Functioning alcoholic” is an outdated term that in the past was used to describe people with alcohol use disorder who appear to meet their everyday responsibilities.

By the time they admit the problem, their withdrawal symptoms—which can begin within a few hours after their last drink—can become more and more severe. 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. Second, many people with this form of alcoholism are actually using it to help them with mental illness. Researchers through the National Institutes of Health found that as much as 25 percent of functioning alcoholics also suffer from depression. When you consider that mental illness can’t be treated alone and won’t just go away, it’s clear to see that your loved one needs help.

Later, you’re told they were “just with friends,” but they may have been binge drinking. Some suffer blackouts and miss blocks of time during their day as a result. Some may also hide tickets for DUIs or cover up their poor performance at work. A high functioning alcoholic is an informal term that refers to someone who appears to maintain a successful professional and personal life while drinking excessive amounts of alcohol. Drinking is often covert, and the person may deny they have any issue with their drinking. Although you may still hear people talking about “alcoholism” or “alcohol abuse,” the official term is alcohol use disorder (AUD).

How to help a person with AUD?

This is part of our ongoing commitment to ensure FHE Health is trusted as a leader in mental health and addiction care. A growing number of events and venues will not provide alcohol or even outright block alcoholic beverages. The reasons for this vary, of course, and will not bother most people beyond a bit of annoyance. However, becoming irrationally upset at an event that traditionally serves alcohol—a wedding, New Year’s party, or sporting event—is one of the recognizable behaviors of an alcoholic. In some cases, they will make passive-aggressive comments about the lack of alcohol or joke about how much more fun the experience would be with alcohol. In the worst cases, they might even become aggressive, confronting people about the lack of drinks.

High-Functioning Alcoholics And Denial

“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. “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. Enter your phone number below to receive a free and confidential call from a treatment provider. The incredibly important first step is to recognize your need for help and move past denial.

How to help friends and family

Multiple areas of a high-functioning alcoholic’s life are greatly affected by the addiction. An individual suffering from alcohol addiction will often defend their drinking by claiming they’ve “earned” it by working hard or they are “just blowing off steam” and enjoying their time away from work. There is ongoing anxiety and fear about their addiction being revealed and this creates a tremendous amount of stress, which can drive them to drink even more. Ongoing alcohol abuse is like a riptide that eventually captures and controls anyone who gets swept up in it. 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. Drinking alone or being secretive about drinking can be another sign of alcohol use disorder.

Consider speaking to your primary care provider about your concerns or attending a support group as a first step. Support from other people who struggle with alcohol use disorder is an integral part of recovery, alongside medical treatment. 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. If cravings and withdrawal have become severe, it’s important to consult medical professionals.

1. They might even rationalize their issues as only affecting themselves whereas murderers or other criminals hurt or kill others.
2. Over time, you may struggle to maintain social and familial obligations and relationships.
3. Drinking rarely causes them to miss work and other obligations (although it does happen occasionally).
4. Certain factors may increase your risk of developing an alcohol problem.
5. If they can hold themselves to that limit, they rationalize away any alcohol addiction.

The information we provide is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. It should not be used in place of the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare providers. A person who’s considered a “functional alcoholic” may outwardly seem like they have everything together, but they could be less apparently having problems controlling their drinking. Since alcoholism is a progressive disease and can worsen over time without treatment, early intervention is essential. Being able to recognize the warning signs of a functional alcohol use disorder can help you take the next steps toward treatment, or you might be able to help someone you love. It should not be used in place of the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare provider.

Although they can live a perfectly normal life, solution focused worksheets they can still benefit from professional help. Without help, their AUD can worsen and cause long-term health and social problems. 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.

Although they may appear to be healthy and functional, without treatment, their condition could get worse. A test recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is the alcohol use disorders identification test (AUDIT). As alcoholism progresses and increases control over someone’s life, the first significant area to suffer is that of recreational interests, participation in which decreases and often stops completely. An individual who is suffering from addiction is more likely to socialize with others who drink and attend social events where drinking is encouraged (i.e., at bars, clubs, or cocktail parties). When drinking socially or with colleagues, one drink often leads to several.