There are many treatment services available to those battling high functioning alcoholic alcohol abuse. Afterward, inpatient or outpatient treatment options are available. After more intensive programs at our treatment centers, ongoing support is crucial. As noted, problem drinking doesn’t always lead to issues at work or home. You might manage work projects, care for your family, and not show significant negative behaviors like anger or withdrawal.
Alcoholism Resources
Often, this will involve issues that everyone deals with in their own way, so it’s not a big leap of logic to believe that someone might have a few drinks to take the edge off. Some common explanations for drinking might include too much stress at work, dealing with unruly kids, or even something like alcohol helping them fall asleep after a long day. What makes a functioning alcoholic different is that they believe their ability to maintain a normal life keeps them from being an alcoholic.
Finishing Other People’s Drinks
These individuals may unconsciously encourage or enable the alcoholic’s behavior by allowing the alcoholic to avoid the negative consequences of destructive drinking. Alcoholism can take a devastating toll on a person’s physical health, emotional well-being, personal relationships and professional life. However, many alcoholics manage to function effectively, holding down jobs and maintaining households. A high-functioning alcoholic may hide their alcohol abuse for years without suffering any major losses. Under the surface, this form of alcoholism can cause severe psychological and emotional damage to the alcoholic and also their loved ones.. Many high-functioning alcoholics will tell you they don’t drink heavily.
#3: They Live Double Lives
Depending on the situation’s specifics and your concern, you could also work with a professional addiction treatment center or interventionist to arrange an intervention. During an intervention, loved ones come together to share how someone’s drinking is affecting them and show their support if the person decides to get help. Many resources are available, whether you want to help yourself or someone you care about. For some people, as mentioned, the first resource could be speaking to their primary care provider, who can help them understand the next steps. There are also peer support groups that include 12-step programs like Alcoholics Anonymous, as well as other options like the SMART Recovery program.
- You’ll begin healing from the mental and physical effects of addiction and learn a healthier way of life in sobriety.
- Most importantly, while you should avoid being judgmental or accusatory, you should also be honest about how alcoholism is affecting you and the alcoholic.
- Until you check into rehab, avoid bars, liquor stores, and other places where alcohol and drinking abound.
- You find yourself having an eye opener in the morning when you’ve overdone it the night before.
- If you suffer from alcohol use disorder, hiding alcohol and lying about how much you’ve had to drink are classic signs of a problem.
- This is true for day drinkers and those who drink alcohol throughout the day.
Another way that many alcoholics may deflect from their relationship with drinking is by drawing comparisons to behaviors in others that they deem “worse” than their addiction. Sometimes, this might be pointing to people they know who drink more https://ecosoberhouse.com/ or have more severe consequences after drinking. In other circumstances, they might explain away their addiction by stating that it’s not as bad as drug addiction or some other substance use issue. They might even rationalize their issues as only affecting themselves whereas murderers or other criminals hurt or kill others.
- However, only a medical professional can diagnose someone with an AUD and determine the severity of their AUD.
- Since they are still able to work, maintain relationships, and fulfill their responsibilities, they often convince themselves and others that their drinking is under control.
- Once health issues arise, it becomes harder for individuals to keep up with their responsibilities.
