re: What does “functional alcoholic” mean?

Functional alcoholic = Maintenance drunk

I work with a guy who probably drinks a 12 pack every night. Shows up for work every morning (yes always dresses sloppy and looks poorly groomed), but does a great job and one of the best engineers we have.

That’s what I assume a functioning alcoholic is.

quote:

---

Found the person in recovery. You must be early on

---

Completely incorrect. My example was from the book used to diagnose substance abuse problems.

quote:

---

What does “functional alcoholic” mean?

---

You appear sober while you're drunk, but appear drunk while you're sober.

Work offshore, so only drink 50% of the time.

quote:

---

Muhfricka won’t be able to pronounce banana at 3am but will shoot 82 while drinking margaritas on the back 9 the next morning

---

He won’t get help unless he wants it. If two divorces and cancer didn’t stop him, the likelihood of you helping is small.

my first thoughts

Alcoholism runs on my dads side of the family.

My grandfather was a “functional Alcoholic” and my grandmother was an alcoholic. Grandmother would drink 6-12 beer a day (and smoked 2 packs an day)and didn’t work. My grandfather was a lead engineer that traveled from project to project around the nation as they build new plants. When he got home from work he would drink Cutty Sark and water, which was minimal water. And he would drink 3-4 per night

My grandmother passed at age 59 with a host of issues but mainly sorosis of the liver. Grandfather made it to 72.

Didn’t realize it till I was older and looked back on it that they were alcoholics. I would stay with them weeks at a time during the summer as a kid. I became their bartender getting her a beer or mixing his drinks.

Dad older brother followed same path. Died at around 60 of sorosis as well.

quote:

---

Well that is continuing to drink despite spending a total of 16 days a year recovering from drinking way too much. Not necessarily picking on/calling you out but pointing out that lots of people continue to drink/use despite having repeated negative consequences from drinking/using. It's like saying here 'my pit bull mauls me 3-4 times a year but I am keeping it'. It doesn't make a lot of sense to keep a dog that bites you, but you do. Your friend is just further along with his disease than you are.

---

This is dumb.

OP’s not an addict. Drinking once per week and getting hammered 3 - 4 times a year is the definition of social drinking. Just because it takes him longer to recover doesn’t make him an alcoholic.

You can’t do anything more for your friend once you’ve told him you’re concerned for his health and wellbeing. He has to make the decision to seek help.

Or you could kidnap him and keep him locked up in your spare room for a couple months, that might work.

I can give you the answer to what a functional alcoholic is based on my late brother's life.

He was my half-brother, his father died in a single-car accident, probably was drinking but it was in the 50s so that wasn't checked at all.

Fast forward, he started drinking probably around 14 years of age. He had several near misses with vehicle accidents as a teen. Got married at 18.

For the next 20-25 years he got drunk every night. He showed up for work early every day unless he was legitimately sick, maybe three times in that time period. He was basically a model employee and moved into management from a welder position fairly young.

That is what a functional alcoholic looks like. He didn't hide his drinking, after a couple of DWIs he started mostly drinking at home. He did kick the drinking for probably 10-15 years. He started again before he passed away but not on the level he did before and not every day. Alcohol was not a significant factor in his death but smoking was. His smoking and alcohol use paralleled each other.