Author: Alex Thompson

Characteristics of High-Functioning Alcoholics

In addition to the health effects of having an alcohol use disorder, it can also take a toll on relationships. Drinking doesn’t just affect the individual; it affects the entire family unit. However, they are likely struggling with uncontrollable cravings, unsuccessful attempts at quitting, and obsessive thoughts about their next drink—all hallmarks of an alcohol use disorder. Although they may appear to be healthy and functional, without treatment, their condition could get worse.

My understanding of HFAs is also from a personal perspective—I have been in recovery from alcoholism for almost five years. I, too, struggled to see that I could be accomplished academically and then professionally while drinking alcoholically. My image of the alcoholic was always an individual who could not hold his or her life together, and I certainly did not fit that description. My denial was deeply rooted and was reinforced not only by my loved ones but by society as a whole. While the term “alcoholic” was used in the past but is now viewed as outdated and stigmatizing. Today, healthcare professionals would say that a person has an alcohol use disorder (AUD).

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One of the main reasons that people who misuse alcohol seek help is the eventual negative consequences of their alcohol consumption. When the pain or embarrassment gets bad enough, they can no longer deny that their drinking needs to be addressed. These tests are provided by a healthcare professional and go in depth about your relationship with alcohol. The test helps give your doctor an idea of what treatment is best for you. It can lead to liver disease, pancreatitis, some forms of cancer, brain damage, serious memory loss, and high blood pressure.

Is Anyone Really a ‘High-Functioning Alcoholic’?

If you are concerned about your loved one’s drinking, it can be helpful to join a support group such as Al-Anon. Such groups can offer valuable support, encouragement, advice, and information. In the short term, alcohol use increases the risk for alcohol poisoning, fetal alcohol syndrome, accidents, injuries, violence, and risky sexual behavior. Usually, it is only when their continued drinking becomes more painful than the prospect of going through the pain of alcohol withdrawal, will they finally reach out for help. They may try to quit independently, but the withdrawals are too unpleasant or severe.

1. High-functioning alcoholics (HFAs) defy these stereotypes and often go undetected because they do not fit the image of the “typical” alcoholic.
2. And any alcohol abuse raises the odds of domestic violence, child abuse and neglect, and fetal alcohol syndrome.
3. If you are concerned about your loved one’s drinking, it can be helpful to join a support group such as Al-Anon.
4. It also makes someone more likely to die in a car wreck or from murder or suicide.
5. Binge drinking, social pressures, family history, mental health issues, and excess alcohol use can all increase your risk of developing an alcohol use disorder.

While some struggle with their addiction, others can live successful lives. By Buddy TBuddy T is a writer and founding member of the Online Al-Anon Outreach Committee with decades of experience writing about alcoholism. Because he is a member of a support group that stresses the importance of anonymity at the public level, he does not use his photograph or his real name on this website. John C. Umhau, MD, MPH, CPE is board-certified in addiction medicine and preventative medicine. He is the medical director at Alcohol Recovery Medicine. For over 20 years Dr. Umhau was a senior clinical investigator at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Get Professional Help

Functional alcoholics will always try to find time to drink. They might also isolate themselves from other people to spend time drinking alone. If you think that you or someone you know may be drinking too much, ask your doctor about getting help – whether it’s from a therapist, psychiatrist, or other addiction specialist. Organizations such as the American Society of Addiction Medicine can guide you to help, too.

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. But it doesn’t always look like it from the outside. Family members may feel on edge and worried about their loved ones drinking. They may take steps to avoid the person while they are drinking, or they may experience feelings of guilt, shame, or self-blame. Chronic heavy drinkers can display a functional tolerance to the point they show few obvious signs of intoxication even at high blood alcohol concentrations, which in others would be incapacitating.

Unfortunately, even when functional alcoholics begin to recognize that they have a drinking problem, they still resist reaching out for help. By the time they admit the problem, their withdrawal symptoms—which can begin within a few hours after their last drink—can become more and more severe. Certain factors may increase your risk of developing an alcohol problem. Binge drinking, social pressures, family history, mental health issues, and excess alcohol use can all increase your risk of developing an alcohol use disorder. They might even be high achievers or in positions of power. And their success may lead people to overlook their drinking.

How to Know if I’m a High-Functioning Alcoholic?

Although a person with high-functioning alcoholism may appear fine, they are not. Without treatment, their alcoholism can get progressively worse. BetterHelp can connect you to an addiction and mental health counselor. High-functional alcoholism can lead to an alcohol use disorder. It could also be a sign that they already have an AUD. A high-functioning alcoholic will usually appear healthy despite consuming large amounts of alcohol.

It also makes someone more likely to die in a car wreck or from murder or suicide. And any alcohol abuse raises the odds of domestic violence, child abuse and neglect, and fetal alcohol syndrome. Genetic or environmental factors can cause high-functioning alcoholism. For example, a family history of alcoholism or a stressful environment.

Although they can live a perfectly normal life, they can still benefit from professional help. Without help, their AUD can worsen and cause long-term health and social problems. The National Institute of Health suggests that loved ones should start by talking about their concerns. Instead, voice your concerns, share how their drinking is affecting others, and suggest ways that you can help them talk to a doctor or join a support group.

Drinking rarely causes them to miss work and other obligations (although it does happen occasionally). They are usually able to manage areas of life including jobs, homes, and families. Sarah Allen Benton, M.S., LMHC., LPC, is a licensed mental health counselor and author of Understanding the High-Functioning Alcoholic.

However, they will not exhibit outward symptoms of intoxication. Alcoholism is a chronic, progressive, and lifelong disease that needs to be treated, whether the alcoholic is a lawyer or a homeless person. The face of the alcoholic needs to be changed and the walls of denial must be broken down in order that alcoholics everywhere can receive proper diagnosis and treatment.