What is a High Functioning Alcoholic?
High Functioning Alcoholic: Uncovering Signs, Risks & the Path to Recovery at Purpose
Get Help for High Functioning Alcoholism With Purpose Healing Center
Often, high-functioning alcoholics have a difficult time seeking treatment. Usually, this is because the person believes that, since they are a functional alcoholic, they don’t need help. Despite this, treatment can be just as critical for people with high-functioning alcoholism as it is for anyone else.
If you are reading this, you may personally identify with high-functioning alcoholism, or you could be worried about a loved one who you suspect has a drinking problem. Purpose Healing Center has a deep understanding of alcohol and drug abuse of all kinds. We know that drug or alcohol abuse can affect anyone, and we know that it can show up in many different ways.
This article will discuss high-functioning alcoholism, why treatment matters, and how Purpose Healing Center can help. We will also discuss the signs of high-functioning alcoholism so that you can spot them in yourself or someone else.
What is a High-Functioning Alcoholic?
A high-functioning alcoholic is a person who meets the criteria for alcohol use disorder but is able to maintain a normal appearance to the outside world. In other words, a high-functioning alcoholic is someone who tends to meet expectations at work, in the home, or in other parts of life.
If you are a high-functioning alcoholic, you may preserve your career without ever getting in trouble for addiction. Or, you might attend to other responsibilities, like picking your kids up from school or getting good grades in college classes, effectively.
If this sounds like you, Purpose Healing Center can help. Like other high-functioning mental health conditions or substance use disorders, high-functioning alcoholism does not mean that you don’t need treatment or support.
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Why Getting Help for High-Functioning Alcoholism Matters
In some instances, people are high-functioning alcoholics–until they are no longer high-functioning. In other cases, people are high-functioning alcoholics for many years, with external symptoms and consequences managed or hidden from others for a very long time. Regardless, getting help for high-functioning alcoholism matters.
Here are some of the possible consequences of untreated high-functioning alcoholism.
Risk of Physical Health Complications
Excessive drinking is associated with health problems including but not limited to liver disease, pancreatitis, some types of cancer, digestive issues, a weakened immune system, high blood pressure, heart disease, memory problems, and brain damage.
It is critical to understand that consuming alcohol in high amounts can cause health complications in anyone, even if you are high-functioning in daily life. Problematic drinking can also increase your risk of accidents or injury, especially if you use alcohol in risky situations (e.g., prior to operating heavy machinery).
Interpersonal and Familial Relationships
Substance abuse can negatively impact interpersonal and familial relationships in many ways. When you stop drinking and get support, you can heal the problems in these relationships. We offer family therapy sessions in addition to group and individual therapy sessions to help families affected by problematic drinking through this process.
Avoiding Other Future Consequences of Addiction
Even if you have not yet faced consequences like legal or financial issues linked to alcohol abuse, it does not mean that you will not in the future. Getting treatment for alcohol addiction now can help you avoid these challenges and others, like job loss or problems at work.
Help for Co-Occurring Mental Health Concerns
Whether you are a high-functioning or non-high-functioning alcoholic, you may have one or more co-occurring mental health concerns. For example, anxiety, past trauma, bipolar disorder, and depression are all common in people with alcohol addiction. While some people use alcohol as a coping mechanism for these challenges, it is relevant to note that drinking can cause or worsen mental health problems.
Treatment can help you address underlying or comorbid mental health concerns. Purpose Healing Center provides dual-diagnosis treatment for individuals with co-occurring disorders or concerns that affect their mental well-being. This is an important part of our commitment to comprehensive care.
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Treatment for High-Functioning Alcohol Addiction at Purpose Healing Center
When you first reach out about getting treatment for problematic alcohol use at Purpose Healing Center, we will schedule an intake assessment. During your intake assessment, an addiction specialist will talk with you about your current symptoms (e.g., how often you use alcohol and how much). Then, we will discuss your treatment options.
All individuals at our treatment centers in Arizona get personalized treatment plans, and we welcome individuals from in and out of state.
Purpose Healing Center provides a full continuum of care. That way, people with alcohol dependence attending our centers can participate in the treatment program that works for their needs and schedule.
Medical Detox for Alcohol Dependence
When you consume alcoholic beverages in high amounts for a prolonged period of time, your body develops a tolerance. Many people facing alcoholism go through withdrawals when they stop or significantly decrease their alcohol consumption. The severity of alcohol withdrawal syndrome (AWS) can vary. Some people are at risk of alcohol withdrawal delirium, for example, which can come with very serious symptoms.
Our treatment centers in Arizona provide medical detox for drug and alcohol abuse. During detox, our team will help you get through alcohol withdrawal safely and with support. Most clients stay in detox for about one week. We screen clients before they enter treatment to determine whether medical detox is clinically recommended.
Inpatient Rehab for Alcohol Addiction
Inpatient rehab provides 24/7 access to staff and full daily therapy schedules. When you attend inpatient rehab at Purpose Healing Center, you will follow a structured program with groups, individual therapy sessions, and other treatments or activities, like skill building, creative therapies, therapy sessions with family members, and more.
Our inpatient rehab centers have comfortable rooms, communal spaces, and other amenities to help clients like you or your loved one feel like they are at home during treatment. Typically, clients in our inpatient rehab program stay for about 1-3 months, although this depends on you, just like other aspects of our programs.
Outpatient Rehab Programs
We offer multiple outpatient programs for drug and alcohol abuse, including partial hospitalization and intensive outpatient treatment. Types of outpatient programs for alcohol abuse include:
- Partial hospitalization program (PHP). The PHP at Purpose Healing Center meets daily throughout the week for most of the day. Rather than be hospitalized or live on-site at a residential facility for treatment, clients live at home or in sober housing. PHP can be an alternative to inpatient rehab at times for this reason.
- Intensive outpatient program (IOP). The IOP at Purpose Healing Center meets a few days per week for about three hours of therapy on each treatment day. This allows clients to work or attend to other responsibilities that may be time-consuming (e.g., college, childcare) while getting treatment.
Before you leave treatment at Purpose Healing Center, we will also help you create an aftercare plan to support you as you transition out of your program.
Identifying the Signs of a High-Functioning Alcoholic
Alcohol addiction is one of the most common types of substance addiction, and there is absolutely nothing to be ashamed of if it is something you are going through. Some high-functioning alcoholics know deep down that they have a problem, whereas others might believe that they don’t.
Knowing the signs of a high-functioning alcoholic can help you detect problematic drinking behaviors in yourself or someone you know. If you are a high-functioning alcoholic, you may have symptoms including but not limited to:
- Attempting to stop or decrease the amount of alcohol you consume but failing to do so. For example, you might say that you will quit or drink less repeatedly, but you do not follow through.
- Increased tolerance (needing to drink more alcohol than you did before to achieve the desired effects or being less intoxicated despite consuming the same amount of alcohol you did before).
- Getting defensive when others bring up concerns about your drinking or justifying problematic drinking behaviors.
- Drinking to cope with emotions, life, mental health, social situations, or sleep problems (self-medication).
- Continuing to use alcohol even if it negatively affects your interpersonal or familial relationships.
- Withdrawal symptoms that occur when you stop or decrease the amount of alcohol you use.
- Regular day drinking or excessive drinking in the evening or at dinner.
- Continuing to use alcohol even if it worsens your physical or mental health.
- Drinking alcohol in risky or dangerous situations (e.g., before driving).
- Neglecting responsibilities at work, school, or in other parts of life.
- Lying about or hiding how much or how often you drink.
- Making jokes about having a problem with alcohol.
- Alcohol cravings (strong urges to drink).
Physical signs of alcohol abuse (e.g., slurring words, poor coordination, yellowed skin) can also be something to look out for. You do not have to have all of these symptoms to have a problem with alcohol.
How is Alcohol Addiction Diagnosed?
Alcohol use disorder (the formal name for alcohol addiction) is defined by criteria in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.
Our team can provide a commitment-free screening for alcohol addiction if you believe that you may need help for high-functioning alcoholism but are not sure.
Call Purpose for Help With High-Functioning Alcohol Use Disorder
Purpose Healing Center is an accredited substance abuse and mental health center with comprehensive alcohol treatment programs in Phoenix and Scottsdale, Arizona. We work with all types and levels of alcohol or drug addiction, and most forms of health insurance can help you cover our programs.
Whether you are a high-functioning alcoholic or have a loved one with a drinking problem, please call Purpose Healing Center today. Our professional treatment team is here to answer your questions or help you start the recovery process.
FAQs About High-Functioning Alcohol Addiction and Treatment in Arizona
What is considered a high-functioning alcoholic?
The term high-functioning alcoholic generally refers to someone who performs well in daily life activities (e.g., their professional life) despite alcohol abuse. Being high-functioning does not mean that problematic drinking behaviors are not a problem.
Can you be a heavy drinker and not be an alcoholic?
Heavy drinking alone does not necessarily make a person an alcoholic. However, heavy drinking or binge drinking is a risk factor for alcoholism.
Is Alcoholics Anonymous appropriate for high-functioning alcoholics?
Yes, Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is appropriate for high-functioning alcoholics and anyone else who has or thinks they may have a problem with drinking. AA meetings are free of cost, and open meetings are open to all (addicts and non-addicts).
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