If it’s time to seek help, contact us to learn about our treatment approach and facilities. We have a long history of providing successful substance abuse treatment at our Palmer Lake, Colorado facilities. Your insurance plan may cover some or all of the cost of treatment https://ecosoberhouse.com/ for drug or alcohol addiction. Our online health insurance verification system will estimate your in-network and out-of-network deductibles, coinsurance percentages and out-of-pocket maximums. Within 5 minutes, you’ll receive an email with these details – free of charge.

What is a Functioning Alcoholic? Signs of High-Functioning Alcoholism

So the appearance of functioning may be carefully manufactured to keep their alcohol use disorder (alcoholism) unchecked and unaddressed. So it becomes difficult to ascertain the true relationship that they have with alcohol. 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.

• Reach out to a treatment provider for free today for immediate assistance.
• From a public health perspective, excessive alcohol use is one of the leading preventable causes of death in the United States.
• More recently, a 2020 study found that people who used alcohol to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic were more likely to drink alone and drink to excessive amounts.
• The participants in an intervention could include the alcoholic’s spouse or partner, children, parents, friends, coworkers, employer, friends and other individuals who have been affected.

Signs of a High Functioning Alcoholic

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. “They may be quite skilled at hiding their alcohol use and not fit ‘alcoholic’ stereotypes,” said Travis Chenoweth, a social worker at Banner Behavioral Health Hospital in Scottsdale, Arizona. They may acknowledge that they drink more alcohol than they should but deny that it’s a problem and that need to stop drinking. However, heavy drinking will almost always become a problem over time. Express an openness to talk about their drinking, provide support and establish boundaries. Make it clear to him that you will not support their drinking or unhealthy behaviors, and you will not share in the consequences.

• Media portrayal of people with alcohol use disorder is often stereotypical and does not accurately reflect the complexity of alcoholism as a disease.
• They may take steps to avoid the person while they are drinking, or they may experience feelings of guilt, shame, or self-blame.

Relationships and Social Life

Some high-functioning alcoholics never binge drink and rarely become drunk. Many alcoholics succeed at work and in school and have great relationships. Nevertheless, high-functioning alcoholics have an addiction disorder which requires treatment. People who live fully high functioning alcoholic functional lives can still have AUD and can benefit from treatment and support. The condition causes changes in the brain that decrease the ability to quit on your own. This makes it important to seek medical treatment and peer support in your recovery process.

Addiction and Mental Health Resources

However, there are individuals that meet the criteria for AUD but do not experience these impacts. You could have AUD even if you are able to keep a relatively normal life if you fulfill at least two of the DSM-5 criteria for the condition. American Addiction Centers (AAC) is committed to delivering original, truthful, accurate, unbiased, and medically current information.

Because they keep drinking, they don’t feel any withdrawal symptoms. Our treatment centers can provide help for co-occurring disorders during your inpatient stay. This includes access to treatment for mental health conditions or drug abuse. One of the signs someone is a high-functioning alcoholic is that they begin developing health problems related to drinking excessively. Unfortunately, this is sometimes the first sign that heavy or moderate drinking has become a serious problem. Recovery from high-functioning alcoholism is a multifaceted journey that extends beyond initial treatment, requiring a strong commitment to long-term sobriety.

High-functioning depression and PDD share similarities, but they’re not the same. The term “high-functioning depression” describes someone who mostly keeps up appearances despite depressive symptoms, rather than being a formal diagnosis like PDD. Sometimes, a person’s personality can influence their tendency for denial. Certain traits, such as independence and perfectionism, can add to a person’s hesitancy or reticence to seek help, says Grawert. In short, “there’s not a single image of AUD,” points out Sabrina Spotorno, a clinical social worker and alcoholism and substance abuse counselor at Monument. People who are high functioning with a drinking problem “seem to have everything together,” says Matt Glowiak, PhD, LCPC, a certified advanced alcohol and drug counselor.

• Symptoms vary based on numerous factors, including age, overall health, personality, genetics and how long you’ve regularly consumed alcohol.
• However, certain food groups also have benefits when it comes to helping with the discomfort of withdrawal symptoms and detoxification.

When Should You Seek Help?

In reality, they’re in deep denial about the reality of their addiction. Just because someone is high-functioning doesn’t mean they’re not at risk of hurting themselves or others as a result of their drinking. It’s important to treat high-functioning alcoholics just like all other addicts by helping them realize the severity of their addiction and encouraging them to seek treatment. Instead, it is an outdated term that was used to describe a person with alcohol use disorder (AUD) who presents as though their alcohol use has no adverse impact on their life or the lives of those around them. “Functioning” is subjective and limiting when describing a person living with alcohol use disorder. Drinking excessive amounts of alcohol can impact short- and long-term physical and mental health.