What is a Functioning Alcoholic?
What is a functioning alcoholic? You may not realize it, but people function every day with high levels of alcohol in their system. They do not exhibit the classic alcoholic look of the rough-looking person who falls down. In many cases, a functioning alcoholic goes about their daily routine. The only difference is that they can’t get through these routines – or through the day – without a drink.
A medical alcohol detox center often reveals that many people attempt to live day in and day out with alcohol. However, this ability to function with alcohol constantly in the bloodstream eventually comes to an end. When you finally crash after operating in this mode for so long, you may feel worn out, stressed, depressed, and filled with anxiety. You may also experience physical or medical problems.
How to Tell if You’re a Functioning Alcoholic
One of the characterizations of a high functioning alcoholic is their ability to carry on with their day-to-day family, work, or personal obligations smoothly. Most of the people around them would never know that they had a problem with alcohol.
If this sounds familiar in your life, then you could be in denial when someone does finally come up and tell you that you have a problem. The reason why you may be in denial is that nothing in your life would lead you to believe that you have a problem – except for the drinking itself.
Functioning or Not, Being an Alcoholic Comes at a Cost
However, even the most functioning alcoholic will eventually exhibit signs of heavy or excessive drinking. The most obvious sign is the amount of alcohol they drink every day. The average person never needs to drink more than two moderate glasses of alcohol per day (and even then, that is debatable). So, if you drink more than two glasses a day, then you may be a functioning alcoholic.
Other signs may include:
- You are starting to ignore your responsibilities at home or work
- Your relationships are beginning to slide
- You run into legal problems that are associated with your drinking
- You feel that the only way you can relax or socialize is with alcohol
- You start to deny that you have a problem when it is clear that you have a problem
Also, you may find yourself getting drunk when you do not intend to or drinking alone quite a bit. If you start to feel that things are getting a bit out of control due to your drinking, then it may be time to seek help from an alcohol rehab facility.
Get Help For Your Alcoholism
What is a functioning alcoholic? Find out more at The Last Resort. We offer a broad spectrum of alcohol addiction treatment options regardless of the severity of your addiction. To find out more, call us today. We can answer your questions, discuss your options, and get you started on the road to recovery.