Although most alcoholic stereotypes leave no room for a successful, career-driven person and neither include a room-mother for their child’s preschool, the truth is that high-functioning alcoholics do not fit the idea of what most people consider a person struggling with alcoholism to be like. Sadly, it is the stereotypical image that prevents many people from getting the help from alcohol addiction treatment facilities they need to overcome their drinking.
Stereotypes and the High-Functioning Alcoholic
An individual is considered to be able to maintain their day-to-day responsibilities, such as the ability to work, go to school, or care for children, and preserve their relationships with others while at the same time continuing and, in many cases, concealing their alcoholism. This type of individual is referred to as a high-functioning alcoholic (HFA).
Most addiction experts suggest that an estimated 75% to 90% of alcoholics are, in fact, high-functioning. However, according to statistics released by the NIAAA), alcoholics are categorized as 20% functional, 32% young adult, 21% young anti-social, 19% middle-aged with some form of mental illness, and 9% chronic severe or low-bottom.
Same Disease, Different Progression
The only difference between high-functioning alcoholics and other alcoholics is the rate at which their disease progresses. High-functioning alcoholics have the same disease as other alcoholics. On the other hand, society has a unique perspective on each person; for example, it may ridicule or disregard an individual whose drinking prevents them from being able to cope, while it may ignore the excessive drinking of a high-functioning individual.
Denial and the HFA
As the high-functioning individual is successful, those successes or achievements prevent them from dealing with their drinking by cloaking it in denial. They may tell themselves that if they were really an alcoholic, then they would not be able to accomplish so much. However, denial is not restricted to only the alcoholic; others around them, including colleagues, friends, and family, will also be in denial that there is a problem for the same reasons.
Falling Through the Cracks
HFAs are less likely to get the help that they need for their abuse simply because they don’t feel they need it, and because of their ability to function at such a high capacity with little setbacks, they will also likely fall through the cracks. In fact, statistics show that barely 25% of individuals with chronic and excessive alcohol abuse ever get the help they need.
The high-functioning alcoholic will not understand the difference between “hitting rock bottom” and “realizing the need for change.” For the non-functioning alcoholic, this realization may come after they have lost everything they own due to their drinking. On the other hand, they generally have the attitude that everything is fine and that they have it under control because nothing catastrophic has happened to them. This is due to the fact that nothing catastrophic has happened to them.
You or a loved one may be struggling with substance abuse, in which case you need to consult an expert and learn about the specialized treatment options available for alcohol addiction.