Functional Alcoholics Need the Help of an Alcohol Treatment Center

When many people think of an alcoholic, they picture a disheveled, homeless person who has lost everything because of a life spent drowning in alcohol. However, there are countless numbers of people suffering from alcohol addiction who meet the clinical criteria for a medical diagnosis of alcoholism. The face of an alcoholic can be stereotypical, but there are also others with alcohol dependency that function well in society and still have their family, jobs and home. The term used to describe a person with this type of addiction is “functional alcoholic.”

A person who is classified as a functional alcoholic may rarely miss work or neglect obligations because of drinking. Though it does happen at times, they are usually very good at hiding the extent of the drinking and perform well in life. Typically, a functional alcoholic is a smart person who is successful in many areas of life. To everyone who knows them, they may appear to be doing fine and living a normal life. However, those who know them best, know the extent of the alcoholism and what it is doing to the person they love. It is possible a functional alcoholic may need a professional alcohol treatment center to get help and learn how to stop drinking.

Alcohol Addiction Denial

One of the major reasons an alcoholic refuses to enter alcohol treatment programs for a drinking problem is because of embarrassment or shame. It is most often after experiencing the negative and disastrous consequences of alcoholism that most are spurred to seek some form of professional help from reputed drug and alcohol treatment centers. When the pain or danger of drinking gets to be too much, a person can no longer deny the severity of the problem or how badly they are hurting themselves.

For a functional alcoholic, the denial and secrecy runs deep because they often do not experience any negative consequences of drinking. They are able to go to work every day, maintain their lifestyle, spend time with their families and do not suffer from financial difficulties, so it makes it much easier to deny the problem. This is no way to live and a person still truly needs the help of a credible alcohol treatment center to address the alcoholism.

Unfortunately, the sad thing about being a functional alcoholic is that a person has a hard time realizing they have a genuine addiction to alcohol. Oftentimes the person has not noticed the side effects and ignores the symptoms of alcohol addiction that would signal to a normal person that alcohol rehabilitation is desperately needed. If there are no negative or dangerous consequences, many people continue to drink and do not get the alcohol treatment they need.

Health Risks Associated to Alcohol Addiction

A functional alcoholic can consume just as much alcohol as a normal, full-blown alcoholic, but they do not exhibit the behavioral signs of intoxication. Functional alcoholics develop a tolerance for alcohol so high that it takes more for them to experience the effects, which includes hangovers. A person who is a functional alcoholic must consume more alcohol and at larger amounts to get the ‘buzz’ effect associated with being intoxicated.

A slow building tolerance means a functional alcoholic consumes alcohol in copious and dangerous amounts that can result in organ damage and death. Alcoholics are at great risk of alcohol poisoning, liver disease or cancer, heart disease, and brain damage just to name a few health consequences. So when chronic alcoholics exhibit a functional tolerance, to the point where they do not appear to be intoxicated even when they have drunk a large amount of alcohol that might incapacitate others, it is very dangerous behavior and the person needs the help of an alcohol abuse treatment center.

Help for Alcohol Abuse

Functional alcoholism affects many people, regardless of social and economic standing. A person with an alcohol addiction may have tried to quit on his own, only to experience cravings and triggers which make it all but impossible. For a person who tries to quit drinking on his own, the side effects and withdrawal symptoms of alcohol addiction drive him to continue drinking and the cycle of addiction continues unchecked.

For those seeking to recover from functional alcoholism, there is hope and help available. There are professional alcohol treatment programs all over the United States, and finding the right one is the most important thing if a person is to make a successful recovery from the effects of alcoholism. Enrolling in an alcohol treatment center has been a lifesaver for many people who have suffered the shame and pain of alcoholism in silence. Admitting help and receiving treatment are the two most important things a person can do to fight back against alcoholism and win.

If you or someone you love is facing an alcohol addiction, there is help available. Please contact us today for further information.

More Drug Alcohol Treatment Articles