How common is it for someone to be a highly functional addict?
I'm sorry for all of the questions, I'm trying to wrap my brain around everything I've been thrown in the last few weeks.
AH is taking either percocet, darvocet or possibly oxy. I've talked to a counselor about him today and we have seen him together on and off for 2+ years. Counselor (who deals with addictions alot) said today he's never seen AH NOT come in their on drugs. I was shocked. All the while I was thinking he was fine. He dresses neatly, goes to work, has a great job, is around my family and friends who don't detect anything etc.
Until the last 2 weeks when he's started using more and spiraling out of control, I had NO concrete reason to believe he was using. He's got all the medical signs of someone whose abused opiates for a long time. Very low pain tolerance, weight loss, grey skin, he was just diagnosed with Menaires disease?? The same thing that Rush Limbaugh had because of long term vicodin/oxy use. He's also having and had alot of medical issues that just aren't adding up. His family dr. is very perplexed and has run him through many tests.
He is very rarely (until recently) slurring, stumbling, spacey etc. I've always questioned it if something seemed off. He of course denies all of it. I also know that most likely he keeps his use mostly NOT around me because I watch him like a hawk.
So how common is it for someone to have possible daily use, but it be virtually undetectable to the untrained eye? Also, he has had to have drug tests in the past for his dr. and he tested clean. But I know he's not used for however long before the test so he'll pass it. Unless there's some other way around it so he can pass it?? Thanks so much - I'm learning so much and I'm really feeling like the knowledge of what's going on gives me the strength to be solid in my stance to leave. I sometimes feel like unless he's very obviously high that I doubt myself. But everything counselor and I talked about to day leads up to long term abuse. As in many, many years. But I NEVER had a clue, nor did his family, mine, friends etc.