Helping a High-Functioning Alcoholic in Denial

In short, “there’s not a single image of AUD,” points out Sabrina Spotorno, a clinical social worker and alcoholism and substance abuse counselor at Monument. People who are high functioning with a drinking problem “seem to have everything together,” says Matt Glowiak, PhD, LCPC, a certified advanced alcohol and drug counselor. They’re able to successfully manage tasks around their work, school, family, and finances, he says.

Addiction and Mental Health Resources

• A doctor can check a person’s drinking levels and recommend further treatment options.
• My understanding of HFAs is also from a personal perspective—I have been in recovery from alcoholism for almost five years.
• Not everyone needs sober living, but it can be a great fit for some while stepping down from residential care.
• If someone you are close to is living with alcohol use disorder, you may be looking for ways to help them cope with the impacts of their disease on your own life.
• Harris’ appearance at the event came the same day that Biden announced their reelection bid.

Functional alcoholics are often intelligent, hardworking and well-educated. Their professional status or personal success can make it hard to approach them about having a “problem” with alcohol. When people do decide to seek treatment for high-functioning alcohol addiction, it’s often because of concern from others. They may also experience a “wake-up call” that makes high functioning alcoholic them fear for their own safety. For example, someone may realize the severity of their alcohol addiction after a DUI, an arrest, or a serious health problem that arises related to your drinking. In reality, a high-functioning alcoholic may be experiencing a great deal of stress while they maintain their drinking and all the dressings of a socially accepted lifestyle.

Medical Reviewer:

The refusal to abstain can become more apparent in certain situations. This includes times when many people give up alcohol, such as “dry January” or the period of fasting and penitence in the Christian calendar leading up to Easter known as Lent. It may also cause an individual to refuse to travel to areas where alcohol access may be limited.

Do They Experience Withdrawal?

It is also possible to detox as part of an outpatient program, which features varying levels of support and treatment. The NIAAA offers a range of assessment tools and strategies to help people understand their drinking patterns, reduce their drinking, or quit completely. It is important to note that these signs may not be obvious to a loved one or friend.

• American Addiction Centers offers a range of treatment services in facilities across the country to help treat alcohol use disorders.
• You likely have questions about how to deal with an alcoholic, or how to help an alcoholic.
• It can lead to liver disease, pancreatitis, some forms of cancer, brain damage, serious memory loss, and high blood pressure.
• Although an intervention can take many forms, many of these meetings open with each participant stating how the alcoholic’s behavior has harmed or disappointed them.

Relating to other people with substance abuse issues may help someone break through denial and begin to recover. Long-term exposure to alcohol can impact on every aspect of your health. Alcohol addiction can even change your brain chemistry,10 affecting the function of neurotransmitters. As you progress in your recovery journey, you may need to make long-term plans not just for your mental health, but also for your physical recovery. After you’ve completed treatment, you may choose to stay in a sober living home (also known as a therapeutic community) before transitioning to life back home.

Feeling Ashamed

• This makes it important to seek medical treatment and peer support in your recovery process.
• Typically, alcohol withdrawal symptoms happen for heavier drinkers.
• Your doctor can give you medication to help manage withdrawal symptoms and help you lessen alcohol cravings to reduce the risk of drinking again.
• If you’re concerned about your drinking, learn more about available programs and connect with admissions team members who can offer you an initial assessment via our directory of inpatient alcohol rehabs.