Your doctor may also conduct imaging tests if other laboratory studies come back abnormal. For example, a computed tomography (CT) scan tests for liver enlargement, which can occur after years of chronic drinking. Your doctor may order this test if your blood tests indicate abnormal liver functioning. A doctor may also diagnose AUD by asking about your health history and drinking patterns. If you give permission, they may speak to your family or loved ones regarding how much you drink. For example, you might imagine an “alcoholic” as someone who is constantly near-blackout drunk, and someone who’s unable to maintain a job or family life.
What is a high-functioning alcoholic?
A support network of loved ones around you will be very important during the recovery process. There may come a point where the HFA in your life is unwilling to seek help and is continuing to drink alcoholically despite your efforts to offer help. If you make it clear that your loved one’s drinking is leading you to put distance in your relationship, it may have an impact as well as protect you from the emotional toll of having an active alcoholic in your life. Sometimes an HFA many become defensive and express that they are unwilling to seek help for their drinking.
Addiction and Mental Health Resources
Instead, she recommends seeking more formal support with Al-Anon or therapy to help you create boundaries and care for yourself. If your loved one is in denial or doesn’t want to seek treatment, they’re not alone. According to the 2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health,about 14.5 million people have an AUD, and yet only 7% received treatment that year. There contingency plan examples are empathetic, actionable ways to support someone with an alcohol use disorder (AUD) who may be stuck in denial. When a loved one has a drinking problem, it’s hard to know how to help, especially if they are in denial. The classic picture of someone with alcohol use disorder is someone who always drinks too much and whose life is falling apart because of it.
Identifying Signs and Symptoms of High-Functioning Alcoholism
High-functioning alcoholism is characterized by an individual’s ability to maintain what appears to be a normal life while struggling with alcohol dependency. Despite their seemingly successful exterior, high-functioning alcoholics can exhibit a range of signs and symptoms that hint at their struggle with alcohol use. These indicators span both physical and psychological domains and can manifest in various aspects of life.