Is it possible to be a “high-functioning” alcoholic?
Yes and no. I believe its pretty obvious when someone drinks regardless of if they have a job, are married,have kids, do normal things. Getting sober actually makes you realize how NOT SLICK we actually are.We go through great lengths to hide it when it was very clear anyways.
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The concept of the high-functioning alcoholic is dangerous. I also think it’s a myth. I thought I was a high-functioning alcoholic for a long time. We all think that. Then something crappy happens because of our “high-functioning” alcoholism, and then we get knocked over the head with the truth.
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So damn true.
People always say, “I’m a recovering alcoholic.” I have yet to hear someone say, “I’m a recovering high-functioning alcoholic.” Other alcoholics would laugh their heads off.
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I thought I was high functioning. Never got a dui. Never ended up in the hospital. And I NEVER did not have a drink in my hand.
Yeah, I thought I was a very special kind of drunk. Didn’t even realize I was losing my family.
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Man, that is dead on. Welcome to the I-Thought I-Was-a-High-Functiong-Alchoholic’s Club. Admission is free.
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“Special kind of drunk”–I love that. I thought I was special, too. Wrong! Just another typical alcoholic using the same typical lies.
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The more free you are the more functional you are. In many societies the concept of freedom seems to be associated with doing what you want you do. Freedom is just a nice word for acting compulsively. I think real freedom is not having any compulsions whats so ever. If you are thinking this then most probably your drinking is compulsive and you to some degree are not in total control of your behavior which makes you in some way less functional. Let alone, the cognitive impairment alcohol cuases which I thinks adds more to it. Hangover is also another aspect that can make you less functional. And finally long term negative effects of alcohol on the body and mind. It will definitely negativily affect your future health making you less functional in the future. I think you need to be true anr sincere to yourself if you want to get the right picture.
Gd luck
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Love your post because I feel more free now than I ever have in my life being sober. Infact when I think of how to define sobriety for myself the word FREE comes to mind.
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Alcoholics function at many different levels but at the end of the day you will always be functioning below what you could be if you were sober. So yeah I mean you might be high functioning compared to other alcoholics but that’s not really saying much.
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I used to think I was one. Was just lying to myself.
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Yes, trust me it is. Cause I am one or was one. I could start something ( I’m a busy body ) and work til the job is done. Always calmed my nerves and help me push past my limits to continue learning and how to do something right, the first time. Alcohol helped me side part of my house, demo a pergola and paint the house. Helped me learn tile work flooring, cement work and electrical. That’s how dangerous it is. Everytime I started something I felt like I was my right hand man. Scary eh?
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Very true maybe we think we are hiding it but its clear as day to others without us even knowing it. But someday it catches up to us. For me its a horrible event that got out of control but also medical problems probably developing and catchin up to us too.
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Any use of a mind altering drug diminishes functionality. I teach in the small p, rural county I’ve taught in for the last 20 years. Former students (some as old mid thirties) stop me all the time and ask me if I remember them.
“You were the best.” “Your Class was fun.” “I learned a lot.”
I always fell back on those when I made excuses for how much I drank. “Well look how many lives I’ve affected positively. I can’t be that bad…blah, blah, blah.”
But the reality is, how great an impact could I have had if I hadn’t dragged in hungover? If I hadn’t half assed it that day bc I had a headache from the night before? If I had actually done my lesson plans and pulled my supplies together over the weekend instead ring out a case and a half?
Maybe someone can function for a while and drink, but consistent consumption of an addictive substance, a low grade poison, ethanol (now seriously. Ethanol. Does that even sound like something you want to put into your body?) will catch up to you.
Best,
Chandler
Only until you quit drinking and start functioning…as many other have said, it feels that way while you’re in butnonce you’re out you feel like you’ve wasted a hell of a lot of time NOT functioning.