We publish material that is researched, cited, edited and reviewed by licensed medical professionals. The information we provide is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. It should not be used in place of the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare providers. 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.

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

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. 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.

• And it’s all still problem drinking, even if you think it’s “mild.” If AUD goes unrecognized and untreated, it’s linked to risks in many aspects of your health and life.
• American Addiction Centers offers a range of treatment services in facilities across the country to help treat alcohol use disorders.
• A “functional alcoholic” (or “high-functioning alcoholic”) isn’t a formal medical diagnosis, but a term used colloquially to describe a person who is dependent upon alcohol but can still function in society.
• 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.
• People with alcohol use disorder are dependent on alcohol, but that does not mean that they drink every day.

Outpatient Programs

AUD can cause unintended consequences even before a child is born. Drinking while pregnant can seriously harm the developing fetus, raising the risk of fetal alcohol syndrome, premature birth, and miscarriage. So, when supporting your loved one, it can be beneficial to lead with love, compassion, and understanding. If they’re not receptive, keep trying — and set boundaries to protect your own well-being. Instead, she recommends seeking more formal support with Al-Anon or therapy to help you create boundaries and care for yourself. “Always approach a loved one from a place of support and desire to help them, instead of leading with judgment or anger,” says Omar Elhaj, MD, a senior medical director at LifeStance Health.

Stage 1: Early-Stage Alcoholism

There are no quick fixes to addiction, and alcoholism is no different. The safest course of action is to seek treatment in a professional environment that is catered to the individual needs, preferably with holistic treatment. The primary way a person with early-stage alcoholism differs from someone in middle-stage alcoholism is that alcohol is no longer leveraged for a quick high.

• It might help if you developed AUD by using alcohol to suppress painful emotions and memories.
• Less apparent alcoholism isn’t just denied by those whosuffer from it; it’s also normalized by culture and brushed off by peers.
• Often, people who suffer from alcohol use problems are self-treating a mental health condition.
• Alcohol addiction is extremely difficult to overcome on your own..
• You may hear them called “functional” or “high-functioning” alcoholics. But those aren’t official medical terms.

Physical Effects and Deterioration in End-Stage Alcoholism

If someone close to you is a high-functioning alcoholic, it’s just as important to seek support for yourself as it is to get help for your loved one. You likely have questions about how to deal with an alcoholic, or how to help an alcoholic. Self-help organizations, church groups, and 12-step programs like Al-Anon and Alateen offer advice, hope and encouragement to people involved with functioning alcoholics. high functioning alcoholic Consciously or unconsciously, the codependent may help the alcoholic to continue drinking to maintain the status quo. Many high-functioning alcoholics earn a good living and can support their families while continuing to drink. Intervening in the addictive behavior may be seen as a threat to the family’s financial security — even if the family must put up with emotional neglect or physical abuse.

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. You can search for an empathetic mental health professional using our Healthline FindCare tool to get more information and help finding the right treatment for you. As their reliance on alcohol increases, you may begin to notice that your loved one downplays the role alcohol has in their lives and makes excuses for their actions, especially their drinking. You may begin to notice that a couple of beers after work has turned into a six-pack or even a case. As time goes on and tolerance increases, they may attempt to hide the growing problem, and a growing number of empty bottles or cans, from friends and family. 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.

Suggest therapy

During the early stages of the disease, the person may drink heavily and may experience hangovers in between drinking episodes. However, during the end stage, the addiction has taken over, and the person may no longer be able to control their drinking impulses. As harmful and debilitating as AUD can be for both the person with the disease and their loved ones, there are many approaches that you can take to manage the condition.

Under the surface, this form of alcoholism can cause severe psychological and emotional damage to the alcoholic and also their loved ones.. Late-stage, or end-stage alcoholism, is a full-blown addiction to alcohol, almost always requiring alcohol detox to start recovery. The person now spends the bulk of their time servicing the disease by drinking.

• Whether you have an alcoholic spouse, partner or other loved one, you may be wondering how to help.
• They may appear normal to those around them, other than the perception that they are drinking more.
• This stereotype can also make it difficult for loved ones to recognize moderate alcoholism in a friend or family member.

How to support your loved one in getting help and getting healthy