For others who may use their job or family as a barrier to getting help, outpatient treatment is available and just as effective. Inpatient or residential treatment provides the individual with an environment where they can stay on-site for frequent high functioning alcoholic monitoring and care. The first phase will consist of medical detox, which is an intensive part of the process that oversees their care while alcohol leaves their system. Doctors will provide medication and supervision to ensure their safety.
What Are the Signs?
- The most well-known support group is Alcoholics Anonymous, but there are many other 12-step programs.
- If eligible, we will create a treatment plan tailored to your specific needs.
- The recovery process from Substance Use Disorders (SUDs) has evolved over time.
However, functional alcoholics don’t have the same negative consequences for their actions. The denial runs deep for them because they don’t suffer financially and go to work every day. They tell themselves that because they can pay their own bills, there isn’t a problem. While these types of alcoholics may not struggle to hold down a job or maintain a relationship, long-term alcohol abuse will cause a range of health consequences. People who drink heavily for years on end increase their risk of developing certain cancers and liver disease.
Risk Factors For Alcoholism
The most in-depth care allows you to live full time at a treatment facility. These setups can also work along with 12-step programs such as Alcoholics Anonymous. Relating to other people with substance abuse issues may help someone break through denial and begin to recover. Another common sign of high-functioning alcoholics is that they are able to separate their drinking from other parts of their life.
Living with a functioning alcoholic
This is where family, friends and medical professionals can work together to create a plan to help end this cycle before they do more harm to themselves. High-functioning alcoholics will rarely admit that they have a problem. 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. Dietary Guidelines define moderate drinking as one drink per day for women and up to two drinks per day for men. 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).
If they’re not receptive, keep trying — and set boundaries to protect your own well-being. “Mental health care is critical for achieving long-term success in overcoming AUD,” says Elhaj. “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. According to Conroy, it may be easy to get caught in denial with AUD if you subconsciously feel something is wrong with you at your core. It also might mean admitting that they don’t have it all together, and their exterior (and interior) world is crumbling. “In some families, drinking too much is seen as comical, not a big deal, or a must during celebrations,” she adds.
But even the highest functioning alcoholics display signs of their disease, especially as it starts to spiral out of control. A functioning alcoholic, also called a high-functioning alcoholic, is a colloquial term for someone who drinks excessively but still manages to fulfill their responsibilities. They go to work, pay their bills, have nice homes, seem healthy, turn up to their kid’s soccer games, and keep up appearances. Go to a support group for people who love alcoholics, like Al-Anon, or speak to a mental health professional.
- As such, they may justify their drinking as a normal part of life—even though it isn’t.
- Although an intervention can take many forms, many of these meetings open with each participant stating how the alcoholic’s behavior has harmed or disappointed them.
- Nearly 20% of alcoholics are highly functional and well-educated with good incomes.
- You, too, might realize that your relationship with alcohol is negatively affecting your life.
- According to a government survey, about 20% of alcoholics in America are high-functioning alcoholics.
- You can also suggest finding a recovery program support group such as A.A., SMART Recovery, or Women for Sobriety, which have meetings online and in person throughout the country and internationally.
Find the Help You or Your Loved One Needs
If they never show external consequences, they may battle with their physical and mental health. A functional alcoholic’s outward appearance is one of being physically and mentally healthy. Although you may still hear people talking about “alcoholism” or “alcohol abuse,” the official term is alcohol use disorder (AUD). And it’s all still problem drinking, even if you think it’s “mild.” If AUD goes unrecognized and untreated, it’s linked to risks in many aspects of your health and life.
The Power Of Denial: Why High-Functioning Alcoholics Resist Treatment
- They may take steps to avoid the person while they are drinking, or they may experience feelings of guilt, shame, or self-blame.
- It’s essential to approach the situation with empathy and understanding while emphasizing the importance of seeking professional help.
- If you suggest they see a mental health professional or get professional treatment advice, they’ll get angry or avoid the conversation entirely.
- Understanding high-functioning alcoholism requires a deeper dive into its signs, symptoms, and implications for those affected.
- Now, you might have reached a point where you wake up and need a drink to get out of bed.
- They are also the most likely of all the alcoholic subtypes to be college-educated, and the least likely to use illegal drugs.
Consider not drinking yourself (at least temporarily), says Kennedy. You, too, might realize that your relationship with alcohol is negatively affecting your life. 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.
