Originally Posted by
MelindaFlowers 
Amazing points Soberhoopsfan,
I really like what you said about how our view of what is "highly functional" doesn't even resemble what a non-drinker, or dare I say, high motivated person would see as "highly functional."
Highly functional people exercise for at least 30 minutes a day. They have stellar credit ratings and not a lot of debt. They arrive early to work. They take part in hobbies. They save their extra money for retirement, college funds, a vacation fund. They probably are on a pretty consistent sleep schedule. House is clean. Car is clean.
Highly functional people wouldn't dream of being drunk all evening. They would consider it unhealthy and a waste of time. It would get in the way of actual functional activities. Great point hoops!
Yep. I wish I could go back in time 7 years and slap myself silly for thinking I was "high functioning." Every year of my life I spent enslaved by the bottle was a wasted year, plain and simple, regardless of what other people thought about some of my achievements. I was always failing myself and ensuring I would never truly achieve anything, certainly not happiness. It's taken some sober time for me to see that, but I know it is the truth.
Anyway, don't want to hijack this guy's thread, I think he's on the right path realizing that there could be a better way.