A functioning alcoholic could be one of your friends, a family member, or a colleague at work. They use alcohol on a daily basis and seldom attend events or gatherings without alcoholic beverages and even drink around lunchtime. You know they are dependent on alcohol, yet they may call them functioning alcoholics.
They may claim that, with few exceptions, drinking has no effect on their job and social life. They may manage their connections with family members, friends, and co-workers. They appear physically and mentally well and stable, so no one suspects that they have an alcohol issue.
If they’re a functional alcoholic, they may operate in all aspects of life; you should not be concerned, should you? Before we can answer it, we must first define what constitutes a functional alcoholic.
A functioning alcoholic is dependent on alcohol, but they can perform alright in professional, personal, and social settings. The usual description is that this is someone who requires regular drinks yet can accomplish their tasks without difficulty. There are no difficulties in the office. They can also handle their family obligations. Because they can handle their own business, their friends and family mightn’t feel the necessity to intervene. They may justify their conduct, claiming they’re completely functional.
The reality is that there’s no such thing as a functional alcoholic. They’re just alcoholics who give preference to use their functioning to disguise or explain their drinking.
The first thing to recognize is that persons who label themselves as functional alcoholics are combining two distinct disorders. The incapacity to function at work or at home isn’t the only or most crucial characteristic of an alcoholic. Just because they can continue about their business doesn’t indicate they aren’t experiencing or recovering from the effects of alcohol.
Alcoholism should be examined separately, without regard for performance or managerial qualities. A financial professional who drinks frequently yet handles their career and family responsibilities isn’t a functional alcoholic. It’s deceptive to claim that since the individual is competent at their profession, they cannot be an alcohol addict; a person can be both.
Why is this distinction important? Because their functioning capabilities may dissuade others from providing help or engaging in meaningful interactions with them. To treat alcoholism in rehab, it is critical to remember that therapy is not supposed to be related to how the patient performs at work or manages family matters.
The second thing is that performing serves as an effective disguise for hiding their addiction. Their activities in various settings would obscure the issue, and the word “functional” would make it hard for anybody to identify it and give assistance.
Passive spectators are not always aware of the negative consequences of drinking. The so-called functioning alcoholic might have had a difficult background with drinking. They may have made multiple futile attempts to stop. They may have uncontrolled appetites and are always thinking about the next time they can have a drink.
Their addiction makes them anxious and uptight, prohibiting them from making genuine connections. Also, it’d have substantial health repercussions, which might not be apparent soon. Individuals closest to them may be unaware of their issues and suffering as well.
