Welcome, Mel. I am a "functional" alcoholic, too. No drama, always sober for work, school concerts, no DUIs, etc. At some point in sobriety, though, it became very apparent in a beautiful and poignant manner that when I was drinking I was living a very limited life. I've grown up and have become wiser with sober time. All those emotions that I kept, literally, "bottled up" have been key teachers in my life. Learning to tolerate and move through the hard stuff is the golden treasure .