The best cure for codependency is a strong, healthy sense of self. Individual therapy, combined with marriage or family counseling, can strengthen your self-esteem and help you build a healthy, sober relationship. As with anyone who’s struggling with an alcohol dependency, acceptance is an initial but significant step. From here, there are many things you can do to help get you on a path to recovery. Suspected drug or alcohol problems among employees tend to go unaddressed until job performance suffers.
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Instead, the DSM-5 has established AUD as the term to replace previous stigmatizing terms such as alcohol dependence, alcohol abuse, and alcoholism. However, this and other related misnomers such as “functional alcoholic” are no longer used because of the potential stigma that can prevent someone from seeking help. As their reliance on alcohol increases, you may begin to notice that your loved one downplays the role alcohol has in their lives and makes excuses for their actions, especially their drinking.
But your value is not dictated by your loved one and their addiction. We are dedicated to making alcoholism treatment accessible to every person in need and operate a 24/7 alcohol detox hotline. Sarah Allen Benton, M.S., LMHC., LPC, is a licensed mental health counselor and author of Understanding the High-Functioning Alcoholic. Being able to carry out regular responsibilities with AUD is not the same as being free of the disease. Alcohol use disorder can still have a significant impact on a person’s life, even if they appear to be coping from the outside.
- There should be zero doubt that living a sober lifestyle can be extremely difficult.
- These people have jobs, active social lives, or happy families at home.
- Some may also hide tickets for DUIs or cover up their poor performance at work.
- Early intervention and treatment can help reduce the severity of the disease and prevent further physical or mental complications from developing.
- Although you might not hit all the criteria for the condition, and the impact on your life may appear minimal, AUD is a chronic and progressive condition.
Alcoholic Life Expectancy: Using Calculators and Examining Overall Impact of Alcohol Abuse
One of the main reasons that people who misuse alcohol seek help is the eventual negative consequences of their alcohol consumption. When the pain or embarrassment gets bad enough, they can no longer deny that their drinking needs to be addressed. But it’s possible to treat the “functioning addict” before the facade crumbles, and addiction specialists say workplace health programs should take a more proactive approach, says Butt. Although a person with high-functioning alcoholism may appear fine, they are not.
Early intervention and treatment can help reduce the severity of the disease and prevent further physical or mental complications from developing. More recently, a 2020 study found that people who used alcohol to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic were more likely to drink alone and drink to excessive amounts. Researchers cited further risk factors, such as having a child under 18 and at home, having depression, and having fewer social interactions due to the pandemic. People who are concerned about their drinking habits, and those who are showing signs of an AUD, may wish to reach out for help and support. According to the NIAAA, the majority of people with an AUD can benefit from some form of treatment.
What Is a “Functioning Alcoholic”?
Many high-functioning alcoholics recognize their need for alcohol, but they keep the various areas of their lives separate. For example, they drink only after work, never during work-related functions or in the office. Some also take great steps to create a portrait of a healthy person.
There is ongoing anxiety and fear about their addiction being revealed what drug causes foaming at the mouth and this creates a tremendous amount of stress, which can drive them to drink even more. Ongoing alcohol abuse is like a riptide that eventually captures and controls anyone who gets swept up in it. Spithoff, Sheryl, MD CCFP, et al. “Primary care management of alcohol use disorder and at-risk drinking.” NIH National Library of Medicine, June 2015.