This is actually something I've been thinking about recently. My AH is in his 8th year of sobriety after 30+ years of drinking. I always considered him a functional alcoholic when he was drinking, mostly because few if any outside of the house had any idea he was an alcoholic. To outsiders, he was a normal person. I knew differently but rationalized a lot of his behavior for many years.
My sister is currently dying of alcoholic cardiomyopathy. She checked herself out of the hospital against medical advice. She is confined to bed and can't feel her limbs but she is still drinking. It's a matter of weeks or days now, we think. She is 47 years old and has never been anything resembling functional. She has been drunk every day since she was a teenager, has never had a job or even attempted to live a normal person's life. I gave up a long time ago thinking that she would ever make an attempt at sobriety.
What I've been wondering lately is if people who are "functional," i.e. going through the motions, have a stronger chance of recovery than those who abandon themselves completely to the alcohol. To me it seems so, but my experience is admittedly limited. Sorry if this is in the wrong thread, but reading this just reminded me of my recent thoughts.