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. A doctor may also diagnose AUD by asking about your health history and drinking patterns. If you give permission, they may speak to your family or loved ones regarding how much you drink. For example, you might imagine an “alcoholic” as someone who is constantly near-blackout drunk, and someone who’s unable to maintain a job or family life.
What is a high-functioning alcoholic?
A support network of loved ones around you will be very important during the recovery process. There may come a point where the HFA in your life is unwilling to seek help and is continuing to drink alcoholically despite your efforts to offer help. 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. Sometimes an HFA many become defensive and express that they are unwilling to seek help for their drinking.
Addiction and Mental Health Resources
Instead, she recommends seeking more formal support with Al-Anon or therapy to help you create boundaries and care for yourself. If your loved one is in denial or doesn’t want to seek treatment, they’re not alone. According to the 2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health,about 14.5 million people have an AUD, and yet only 7% received treatment that year. There contingency plan examples are empathetic, actionable ways to support someone with an alcohol use disorder (AUD) who may be stuck in denial. When a loved one has a drinking problem, it’s hard to know how to help, especially if they are in denial. The classic picture of someone with alcohol use disorder is someone who always drinks too much and whose life is falling apart because of it.
Identifying Signs and Symptoms of High-Functioning Alcoholism
High-functioning alcoholism is characterized by an individual’s ability to maintain what appears to be a normal life while struggling with alcohol dependency. Despite their seemingly successful exterior, high-functioning alcoholics can exhibit a range of signs and symptoms that hint at their struggle with alcohol use. These indicators span both physical and psychological domains and can manifest in various aspects of life.
How to Help a High-Functioning Person with Alcohol Use Disorder
If they’re not receptive, keep trying — and set boundaries to protect your own well-being. “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, crack cocaine: withdrawal symptoms timeline & detox treatment 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 starters, the media, our workplaces, and many social circles normalize drinking to excess,” says Ruby Mehta, a clinical social worker and director of clinical operations at Tempest.
What is a High-Functioning Alcoholic?
Alcohol withdrawal can produce a withdrawal effect known as delirium tremens that can prove life-threatening. Detox under medical supervision is a safer and more effective option than attempting to detox without help. It passes slowly when times are tough and moves too quickly when life is smooth. Although I have not drunk alcohol in two decades, images and sensations of the experience are one thought away.
Alcohol treatment uses various methods to help with withdrawal and addiction. With these interventions, people can find health and happiness in sobriety. High-functioning alcoholics will do what they can to drink while appearing sober.
Unfortunately, even when functional alcoholics begin to recognize that they have a drinking problem, they still resist reaching out for help. 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. This article explores the meaning of the term high functioning alcoholic, looks at the signs and symptoms of alcohol use disorder (AUD), how people can help friends and family, and more. Psychologically, alcohol use disorder is linked to an increased risk of developing dementia and other mental health disorders, such as anxiety and depression. In adolescents, early alcohol use can disrupt normal brain development, leading to long-term cognitive and behavioral issues.
Despite their seemingly controlled exterior, physical signs and other symptoms of alcoholism and alcohol abuses 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. However, professionals recognize several criteria indicative of this condition. A hallmark sign is the development of a functional tolerance to alcohol, where individuals exhibit few signs of intoxication despite high blood alcohol concentrations, which would typically be incapacitating.
They’ll binge drink on weekends to ensure they have no obligations the following day. High-functioning alcoholism is defined by the alcohol’s ability to work or function normally. These people appear successful and healthy despite a possible underlying alcohol use disorder. A high-functioning alcoholic will usually appear healthy despite consuming large amounts of alcohol.
The book Co-Dependent No More by Melody Beattie is a resource for the loved ones of alcoholics that is highly recommended by many therapists. In addition, attending individual therapy or even family therapy with the HFA can be effective. It is best to find a therapist who specializes in treating addictions, and you can often do this search through your insurance company or by asking your physician. These behaviors, while not exhaustive, are significant red flags and may help in identifying individuals who are high-functioning alcoholics. It is important to recognize that despite their ability to uphold responsibilities, these individuals are at risk for severe health and social consequences related to their alcohol use.
- By Buddy TBuddy T is a writer and founding member of the Online Al-Anon Outreach Committee with decades of experience writing about alcoholism.
- These behaviors, while not exhaustive, are significant red flags and may help in identifying individuals who are high-functioning alcoholics.
- There are no official diagnostic criteria for what it means to be high functioning.
- While they may seem OK to the outside world, it’s likely that warning signs and symptoms are appearing elsewhere.
High-functioning alcoholism, a subset of alcohol use disorder, often masks its long-term effects due to the individual’s ability to maintain seemingly normal life activities. However, chronic alcohol consumption can lead to severe health complications over time. The impact on the digestive system includes inflammation of the stomach lining, ulcers, and a heightened risk of pancreatitis.
Twenty years ago today, I woke up from a typical alcohol-induced blackout in an apartment I did not recognize in an unfamiliar Boston neighborhood. I stared at the ceiling with a pit in my stomach, a void in my soul, a dead cell phone battery, and an inner knowing that I would never let myself feel this way again. I gathered my few belongings from the night before and shamefully walked to the Boston “T” to get back home. When I arrived, reeking of booze from the evening before and makeup strewn down my face, I was confronted by two of my female roommates. It can be hard to stop enabling someone you care about once you’ve recognized it.