Originally Posted by
oneilshome 
I have spent a good deal of time reading away on this site and feel I have a very strange situation that I need some advice on.
Welcome to SR. Glad you found us.
In regards to the above, unfortunately I don't see your situation as strange at all. In fact, it's quite typical. The thing I see as different than most of us is that you are seeking help much earlier in the process than many of us (including me) did.
Alcoholism is progressive, as you are discovering. It doesn't get better, it gets worse. Functional is not a "type" of alcoholic, but rather a "stage" of alcoholism. How long it takes to progress is anybodies guess and it varies greatly by individual, but no doubt it will progress if not addressed by your wife.
Although it seems like the solution to your problem is to get her to stop drinking, the real solution is to seek help for yourself. I know that probably doesn't make sense to you at this point, but many here have found Alanon very helpful. Individual counseling was a lifesaver for me, but I wasn't willing to seek it until things got much worse. Sometimes I wonder what the outcome would have been had I sought help for myself sooner. I'll never know.
L