At what point is a functional alcoholic considered to be a dysfunctional alcoholic?
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Functionality is not the litmus test. Alcoholic is. Alcohol decreases performance. If you think you are “functioning” as an alcoholic imagine how much better you would be doing if you weren’t drinking.
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Many alcoholics remain functional. Many do not. Not sure there is a timeline that one could point to.
Personally, I dislike the term “function alcoholic” because its seemed to be used as a synonym for special or extraordinary., but the truth is, every alcoholic is “functional” during most of their active addiction.
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I hid behind the illusion of functionality 99% of my drinking.
I never lost a job. I always excelled at whatever job I had. Some of my most productive days were on the worst hangovers.
As my alcoholism progressed my will to live and ability to enjoy life decreased.
Not enjoying life because im a miserable, wreckless drunk isn’t functioning. I made it to work everyday.
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From the start.
The only thing that varies is the level of dysfunction.
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I used to think I was a functional alcoholic.
I had a job, I built many things that are still standing after three winters storms.
But I am still an alcoholic.
Now I see it as a way of telling myself that I wasn’t so bad.
I wasn’t down and out on a park bench!
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I agree that’s how I’ve felt recently like My drinking isn’t that bad I still have a place to stay and a job and stil function. But that’s not the point I’m still an alcoholic and recently I feel that it is starting to effect my personal life.
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The functioning part is the justification to partake in the dysfunctioning part. It’s a profile. Kind of like the profile of serial killers having justification because they have something to do with law enforcement.
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My opinion is: If you just function, something is pretty wrong in your life anyway and you need help and change.
If you are an alcoholic, you are an alcoholic.
The pairing of these terms never made logic sense to me.
Intoxicated people always live, behave, smell, talk, emotionally respond etc. different than sober people, also true for DrunkMe & SoberMe. Thats no reason for not functioning. And sober people can struggle as well highly dysfunctional with daily life.
What does academic literature say on these terms and their differentiation? I’m curious to read about it, maybe finding some explanation for the irritating terminology.
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In my experience, when you think you have reached rock bottom before you realise you can go lower. 
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Wow. Thats exactly how I feel! Im brand new on this app. Im absolutely miserable, lost, depressed, whatever yiud like to call it. Ive been struggling with alcohol now for years. Its now started to effect me physically aswell as mentally.
I stopped drinking today about 5 hours ago after vomiting, this hasn’t happened for a long time which leads me to think that my body is starting to really struggle along with painful hemaroids.
I know this isn’t going to be easy and im almost scared of trying to stop as i might fail 
but today I feel like enough is enough! Im hoping that this feeling lasts forever but I know it won’t. Its when im going to have days of literally tearing my hair out to have a drink is when the real battle is.
Many thanks
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Welcome.
I felt scared to stop too. once detox is over it gets easier. Detox is the hardest part. I started feeling a little better after three days, each day after that I felt a little better. Then the mind games start. My alcoholic thinking made it alot harder than it had to be. Most of us experience that.
Youve made a huge step posting here. There is support 24/7 here. Get through the physical withdrawals. for me it was shaking, hot and cold sweats, no appetite. I ate soup and drank alot of water. I slept as much as I could.
your body will want a drink. your mind will tell you its the only way you’ll feel better. Its not true. The way to feel better is to detox. once you do, then your appetite will return, and you’ll feel better physically. You’ll have some mental struggles, but with support here, you’ll get through that too.
I feel healthy today. I didn’t when I found this place. We cant start the healing process unless we quit drinking.
Glad your here!
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You’re not alone. Come here and read some of our friends sharing their experiences. It helps us to keep focused. Hugs from Brazil 
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Thanks so much 
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Thanks for the message much appreciated
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Anytime. This forum has helped me so much. Keep coming back!
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Interesting question because I considered myself a functioning alcoholic…happy family, nice home, good job, etc. But at the same time my mom was also a functioning alcoholic and she died from her disease. So I know that functioning is not a good thing.
Still, I think you are not functioning when you start losing things because of your drinking. Your friends and family don’t want to be with you because you’re always drunk. You have your car taken away because of dui’s. You lose your job because you aren’t performing well due to being drunk or hungover.
But you don’t need to get to that stage for alcohol is a problem
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I think that i start to get serious problems when i use alcohol to dodge other problems…i had and still have panic atacks but way less frequent , and at the time the atacks passed when i drink …so that was my solution to the panic atacks.to the time i only drink to have fun,at parties etc…the last 5 years of my drinking was a bit more serious, i used it to avoid anxiety and panic atacks…but after a time they just got worst…thats the point i realized that i need to stop drinking. I think you can apply this to everything, when something that was enjoyable start not to be, and start to causing troubles and impact on your health and in you as a person is a disfunctional thing.
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I was always a highly functioning alcoholic and addict. Successful, well liked, career driven, close friendships etc…
Then I got sober and realized that my idea of functioning was this terrible cycle of shame, guilt, chaos, regret, confusion, terror and dishonesty.
I can confidently say that sober… I can’t even call what I was doing before LIVING let alone functional living.
Stopping drinking freed me from a half life of imprisonment and let me become a person who was actually living life on life’s terms.
Sobriety gave me a life worth saving.
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I hope this helps a bit.
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