In alcoholism, denial often appears in various forms: Those who are addicted to drugs or alcohol often become masters at using denial in order to protect their addictions. Denial is a refusal to admit the truth or the reality of the situation – and in addiction, it’s a strong defense mechanism. If a person doesn’t believe that his or her substance abuse is a problem, he or she won’t have motivation to get the necessary help to quit. Denial in Alcoholism.Īddiction of any sort often relies heavily on denial. However, just because they’re functioning at a high level, doesn’t mean the consequences to their drinking won’t catch up with them. To all but their family members or close friends – they give the outward appearance of living a normal, healthy life. They get the kids to school on time, they attend obligations, fulfill responsibilities and are often very successful in many areas of life.įrom the outside, so-called functioning alcoholics seem to have their lives together. If you know someone on a casual basis who is a high-functioning alcoholic, you may not even realize that he or she is struggling with addiction, or in what we call the ‘ 4 Stages of Alcoholism for the Functional Alcoholic.’ People with functional alcoholism rarely miss work – and often excel at their jobs and on their career paths. People who have not yet faced the fallout from alcohol addiction are often described as “functional alcoholics” or “high-functioning alcoholics.” The High-Functioning Alcoholic. While there are plenty of people who are actively addicted to alcohol and facing tremendous losses and consequences, there are also people who meet the criteria for a medical diagnosis of alcohol dependence – who are not experiencing the same repercussions of their drinking.
Often times, we think of alcoholics as people who have suffered great consequences, lost their jobs, lost their homes or vehicles, lost money, or lost the help or support from their family or friends.
The college frat boy who got kicked out of school for partying too hard.The former child-star actress who just had her 4th DUI arrest.The homeless, disheveled and unshaven man in the alleyway with a brown bag of liquor.For many years, when I thought of a person struggling with alcohol addiction a few stereotypical images came to mind.
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