Crossfitdad

What do you all think makes a functioning alcoholic, functioning? Is it that he doesn't drink as much as the full blown alcoholic? Is it that he still has loved ones and responsibilities that keep him at least a bit centered? Is it that he has enough will power not to let it all got to rot?

Also, my perception of what a functioning alcoholic is has changed since being on this forum. I used to think a FA was someone who was addicted and couldn't handle alcohol, but drank only during "appropriate" times and continued to live a pretty normal life. I have learned that a FA does everything a full blown does, but is able to keep up with life; that is, he still drinks all day, but has something in him that allows him to functio
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Thoughts?

courage2

A guy I know says the definition of a functioning alcoholic is, you've kept your job but you've lost your soul.

LBrain

One has to first admit they are an alcoholic. And if they happen to be functioning, they are a functioning alcoholic.

Or else it means that alcohol has not caused any adverse affects as far as they are concerned.

StevenBills

I have a family member that has been drinking around a 1L of vodka per day for around 10 years. He makes nearly 250k a year as a very high level data security consultant. He doesn't have a family and mostly keeps to himself. He eats very well, is in decent shape. Very easy to talk to, doesn't get in trouble, and for the most part is just kinda living life and enjoying it.

He attributes his drinking to some pretty messed up things that happened in his childhood and also that he has very severe sleep issues that the alcohol apparently helps him deal with. He constantly drinks and openly admits to it, no one argues with it though because he is clearly a high functioning individual.
If I had to label a functional alcoholic, it would someone that can do everything a normal person does except they require alcohol as a way to cope with daily tasks and stresses. Its really no different than a doctor giving someone benzos or anti-depressants to cope with their day.

Just like those meds, alcohol can act the same way. For some people they cannot function even at a low level when drinking. For some people its literally like a poisonous medication for them.

I ran two businesses, put myself through school. Bought a house have a wife and a soon to be kid on the way. I gave up drinking for my child's sake. I Did all of that previously while drinking a liter of vodka a day. I've never been arrested, I always keep my jobs, I own a business and I rarely act like an idiot when I drink.

For me, it really helped me deal with stress and some medical conditions I have.
It started to effect my health as well and I tried benzos to help with stress. I cannot function at all on that crap. I'm just learning to deal without drinking.

Anywho though, I would consider myself a high functioning alcoholic. I literally needed alcohol to get through a day. I still maintained myself no matter what though and never let it get the best of me. I was going to die eventually with the amount of liquor I was drinking though soooooo. I'm glad I quit, I will drink again in the future, but I never want to go back to that all day crap again.

thomas11

I've known two people in my life that were 100% functional alcoholics. One was when I was in college and he ran the biggest most popular bar in town. He was constantly drinking but somehow ran a tight ship at that bar. He was an alcoholic but also a workaholic. The other person was more recent, I rented space for my business at a shop he owned. The man is incredible. Never saw anyone drink as much as him, and yet he runs a business that does 6 million a year, has 70 employees, 4 houses etc....another thing that is amazing is he can take business calls at anytime without sounding drunk and the kicker is he remembers everything no matter how much he's been drinking. Its a phenomenon that I can'at understand.

anattaboy

I think if one has to ask...maybe they are not. Many things were easier to do when I was drinking--driving was one of them--and remembering. I can't remember the rest but liking myself was not one of them. One should at least like who they are to have a fulfilling life. JMO

StevenBills

I've found that it's more of a curse if anything haha

JeffreyAK

It's a spectrum, not either/or. I was "functioning" for years before I found it impossible to function anymore, and looking back the difference was the negative consequences hadn't really started piling up yet. Amazingly, since I was drinking at least a 12 pack worth of beer every night, much more on weekends. Before that, I was a binge drinker for a couple decades, weekends only but a lot on Friday and Saturday night while holding down very responsible jobs. But once the negative consequences started piling up, it was more drink to run from them, and then more consequences, the spiral.

By the way, drinking a liter of alcohol a day will most certainly **cause** severe sleep issues, I've heard and used that justification myself and it's absolute crap. Same with childhood trauma, there are far better ways to deal with that than drinking one's self to oblivion. Glad you quit Steven, and hope your family member takes the lead from you.

doggonecarl

Functioning alcoholic? That's a stage of alcoholism...not a type of alcoholic.

Serotonin

I was rather nonfunctional before I even became and alcoholic, probably attributed to my unstable childhood being another generation of an adult child of alcoholics. Once I found alcohol I found my hiding place. Now that I'm sober I'm a nonfunctional sober alcoholic. Trying to become functional for the first time. I mean I've had jobs an whatnot, but alcohol always played a factor in me losing them. Just my story.

Boleo

A functioning alcoholic is simply one who is still manages to fool most of the people most of the time (including him/her self).

ScottFromWI

The only criteria that matters is to the individual that thinks they might have a problem with alcohol. Do you think YOU are a functioning alcoholic CrossfitDad? That is the question only you can answer for yourself.

Fly N Buy

I considered myself in the category of high functioning alcoholic. About 3-4 years back I amended that to functioning alcoholic. No reason to have so much pride in my deteriorating abilities, I am aging and maturing.

The last couple years I drank pretty much every day. Never started till an appropriate time of day......at least waited till around 3pm. No need to rush things.

Around 9 months ago my closest drinking buddy got his first DUI. I saw first hand the consequences - he still drinks daily, but thinks he is moderating.

I learned one acronym that I carry with me daily - I have not lost xyz.....YET = You're Eligible Too. One simple zig instead of zag - one innocent left instead of a right and my life and many others lives could be changed forever........

My names Fly, I am an alcoholic......
Glad you're here

WritingFromLife

"A guy I know says the definition of a functioning alcoholic is, you've kept your job but you've lost your soul. "

I can't say it any better than this.....and I agree--it is a STAGE in the progression of alcoholism. Environment, upbringing, current circumstances and much more can affect who LOOKS high functioning and who doesn't. Me? 6 figure career during the day, star performer....night? say....4PM to pass out, not so functional.

Functional to me is having my "edge"--alcohol insidiously steals that, and you may not notice that for a long time. IMHO, there is not way someone who drinks REGULARLY is operating and feeling their best.

And btw, for me, that was 4-5 glasses of wine, most nights.

RoyGBiv

For me it was the clear admission that I was an alcoholic... for which everyone's standard is individually unique... yet still not getting into any trouble at work or with the law. I had a slew of other problems, but they were the kind that could be dismissed or ignored in the pursuit of more booze. (health problems, relationships failing, etc...)

sg1970

That describes my bottom exactly. I always called myself a functioning alkie until I got some sobriety. Now I realize I was a standard alkie that hit bottom. I am one lucky sob who had only lost his soul. I had every opportunity to lose everything or get arrested but for some reason didn't. Why I may never know.

findingout

In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king.

I always knew one or two people who I could use to justify why I wasn't that bad. It never occurred to me until I got sober that there were people in my drinking circle who were using me on the other side of the "at least I'm not as bad as he is" equation.

Anyways, I am happier as an "alcoholic, recovered" than I ever was as an "alcoholic, functional".

Gottalife

Some of the attributes of the functioning alcoholic sound very much like a hard drinker, a title I wanted very much. My hard drinking buddies consumed huge amounts of alcohol but it didn't cause them the same problems it came to cause me.

For a time I claimed to be a hard drinker and tried to meet the criteria of what is called today the functioning alcoholic. But it was a delusion. In reality it was my ego and denial saying I am not as bad as the real alcoholic who has lost control, I am much better than that, I am unique, I need special treatment, look how well I manage my life. As everyone but me could see, I was deluded and only fooling myself.

Nonsensical

It means there are still things left to lose.

Berrybean

Living on luck and blind (for whatever reason) to the impact of their drinking (on selves / others).

Basically, the s**t hasn't hit the fan. Yet.

A lot of alcoholics manage(d) to stay at that place for a while 'til they run out of energy to keep winging it, or their luck runs out. (Me included).