Nausea or vomiting, increased agitation, and disorientation can occur, too. A person experiencing withdrawal from alcohol may also experience delusions and seizures. Symptoms generally appear within 4 hours after a last drink and peak between hours. While more often, symptoms will end within a week, there’s a chance you could experience some withdrawal symptoms for several weeks. Unfortunately, this blotting out of memory means functional alcoholics don’t experience guilt over the consequences of their actions if they can’t remember doing anything wrong.

• There is research showing that about 19.5 percent of people with AUD are middle-aged, well-educated, and have stable jobs, homes, and families.
• Liver damage is the most talked about physical consequence and that is a concern almost immediately.
• Loved ones or coworkers may have raised their eyebrows at your drinking habits enough that you begin to hide how much you’re drinking.
• While they may be able to get through the day with their habits, it is not a healthy lifestyle and addiction treatment should still be the goal.

Suggesting that one is alcoholic is suggestive that one fits into a one-size-fits-all demographic, which stereotypically conjures up images of a low-functioning individual. The truth is that alcoholism is not a one-size-fits-all epidemic, and it looks different for every individual. Mental health professionals and addiction clinicians prefer to use the term alcohol abuse than alcoholism. Clinically, for an individual to be diagnosed with alcohol abuse disorder they must meet certain criteria, or in other words, they must display certain symptoms. Furthermore, alcohol use disorder is classified by severity as mild (the individual meets 2 or 3 of 11 criteria), moderate (4 or 5 of 11 criteria), or severe (6 or more of 11 criteria).

What Types of Responsibilities can a High-Functioning Alcoholic Maintain?

Furthermore, alcohol abuse may look different for different individuals. For example, some individuals may be a daily drinker https://ecosoberhouse.com/ while others may binge drink on weekends. Both cases can be problematic if the individual displays adverse symptoms.

In order to increase the likelihood of success, people with alcoholism should avoid bars, parties, and other situations where alcohol is served, as these can act as strong triggers for cravings. Since high-functioning alcoholics don’t want others in their business, it’s common for them to prevent people from visiting their homes for fear of their drinking habits being betrayed. Even if your alcohol use isn’t at a level where it’s taken over your whole life, we can help you regain complete control.

How to help friends and family

Delay of treatment coupled with progression of alcohol abuse can result in more damage being done over an extended period of time, especially to relationships and their physical and mental health. It is important to understand that these people’s achievements are earned in spite of, and not because of, alcohol use. Regardless of personal success, prolonged alcohol abuse carries serious health risks and poses many negative consequences. Unfortunately, a combination of denial and a lack of support from their family and friends often prevents high-functioning alcoholics from ever getting treatment. Nevertheless, high-functioning alcoholics face medical and legal risks from drinking excessively. For example, high-functioning alcoholics are more likely to drink and drive and develop cirrhosis from binge drinking.

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. Many people with AUDs decide to have further treatment and support, such as attending group therapy, individual counseling, or support groups. The more a person drinks, the more at risk they are of developing severe alcohol use disorder. For instance, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is used to help address the mental component of addiction. CBT helps patients peel back the metaphorical layers, allowing them to understand the factors contributing to their alcohol use disorder. Through CBT, those in recovery can also learn healthier ways to deal with possible triggers and cravings moving forward.

They Can’t Just Have One Drink

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. If you feel like you may have a problem with alcohol abuse, take a look at these questions that can help you to better understand your situation. RósGlas Recovery provides bespoke individualised one-on-one therapy retreats for addiction issues and emotional health concerns in the comfort of luxurious accommodation and private surroundings in Ireland. If all else fails, you might have to stage an intervention to get a high functioning alcoholic the help they need before it’s too late. Don’t assume you know what they’re going through and don’t sound accusatory. Show your concern and suggest that you try to solve the problem together, but don’t allow them to make excuses or justify their drinking.

At some point, a high-functioning alcoholic has tried to quit drinking but failed in their attempt. This pattern is often repeated, and you may notice that they go through periods where they drink heavily and then make an attempt to high functioning alcoholic quit. Even though they continuously go through this cycle, they still refuse to seek treatment. This is part of their personality where they feel like they can handle their drinking on their own without getting help from others.

Characteristics of a High-Functioning Alcoholic

Resultantly, they are less likely to seek treatment for alcohol use disorder. He’s now in his early thirties but has health issues, such as high blood pressure, that are typically experienced by people who are twice his age. Despite fully feeling the consequences of his years of heavy drinking, he’s still fulfilling all of his obligations at work and home.