A functioning alcoholic is someone who is dependent on alcohol but maintains a high level of functioning in their personal and professional life. They may have medical problems associated with alcohol addiction but are often not diagnosed until a crisis situation arises. They may be reluctant to seek treatment due to fear of career consequences or denial of their addiction. Doctors can screen for signs of functioning alcoholism, but patients may lie or withhold information.
A functioning alcoholic is someone with an alcohol addiction who manages to maintain a high level of functioning. This is not an official medical term and is used by laymen to describe alcoholics who do not fit the stereotypes associated with alcoholism. Functional alcoholics, as they are also called, are dependent on alcohol but mask it with their professional and personal successes. Often, it is only when a crisis situation arises that the alcoholic is diagnosed and treated.
When someone is a functioning alcoholic, the person regularly consumes a high volume of alcohol and may have medical problems associated with alcohol addiction such as liver damage, general malaise, and malnutrition. Obsessive thoughts about alcohol are common, and the alcoholic may count down the time until the next drink, refuse to attend non-drink-serving events, and experience blackouts.
However, the functioning alcoholic can also hold down a job, often a high-potential and stressful one. Functioning alcoholics can be active with their families, contribute to their communities, and appear, on the surface, to be healthy, balanced individuals. Their alcohol use may be noticed, but not addressed, because people believe it is not a problem, since the person’s life does not appear to be in a state of disruption due to alcohol addiction.
With no one to comment on alcohol use, a functioning alcoholic may remain in a state of denial and generally will not seek treatment for alcohol addiction or abuse, as the person does not think there is a problem. An event such as a drunk driving citation, a mistake on the job while intoxicated, or a similar crisis precipitates a reevaluation of the person’s life and may reveal the drinking problem. The crisis can lead to the cure, but not in all cases; excuses for functioning alcoholics are often given, and the event can be attributed to a lapse in judgment.
It is not uncommon for functioning alcoholics to be very bright, driven, and motivated individuals. They may be reluctant to seek treatment because they don’t want to show weakness or are afraid of the career consequences of going to a treatment facility. People around them may not believe they have a drinking problem, and this can contribute to the denial associated with functioning alcoholism.
Doctors can look into signs that someone is a functioning alcoholic by asking how much alcohol the person consumes, whether the person has obsessive thoughts about drinking, and by checking for physical signs. However, this screening must be conducted with care, as the patient may lie or withhold details to maintain the denial of alcoholism.
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