8 Signs You Have a High-Functioning Alcoholic Spouse

This increases their tolerance and pushes them to drink more to achieve the same result. Sometimes, a person’s personality can influence their tendency for denial. Certain traits, such as independence and perfectionism, can add to a person’s hesitancy or reticence to seek help, says Grawert. In addition to functional alcoholism, there is also familial alcoholism and chronic/severe alcoholism. Individual therapy, combined with marriage or family counseling, can strengthen your self-esteem and help you build a healthy, sober relationship.

• Left untreated, high-functioning alcoholics will eventually find themselves experiencing a cascading series of negative mental, emotional and physical consequences.
• High-functioning addicts are usually only a step removed from full blown dysfunction, so it’s usually the assistance of another person that keeps them afloat.
• Instead of being with friends or playing sports, they have opted to spend time at a bar or drink at home.
• Blaming others allows the alcoholic to be a victim, and their focus is to make everyone else see what they did wrong and not themselves.

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This approach can help the alcoholic take ownership of their behaviors and can increase their ability to see the need for change. ” self-assessment below if you think you or someone you love might be struggling with an alcohol use disorder (AUD). The evaluation consists of 11 yes or no questions that are intended to be used as an informational tool to assess the severity and probability of an AUD. The test is free, confidential, and no personal information is needed to receive the result. During this stage, you may notice that your loved one is heavily under the influence. Since alcoholics cannot hide it anymore at this point, they make up excuses for their choices.

• The more they think everyone else is the problem, the less of a problem they have or need to address.
• For many, the solution for dealing with an angry, drunk spouse is leaving the marriage.
• Spotting an alcohol use disorder (AUD) in your spouse isn’t always easy.
• Make sure to take connected symptoms such as lying about drinking or hiding their actions seriously.

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• Actions such as calling in sick on their behalf, rescuing them from legal troubles, or purchasing alcohol for them may seem like temporary solutions but ultimately do more harm than good.
• If you believe a loved one needs help with alcohol dependency, our Intervention specialists can help you and the rest of your loved one’s support network to motivate your loved one to accept help.
• For many, it pictures someone who constantly drinks, experiences daily hangovers, and often can’t recall what happened the night before.

Self-help organizations, church groups, and 12-step programs like Al-Anon and Alateen offer advice, hope and encouragement to people involved with functioning alcoholics. Consciously or unconsciously, the codependent may help the alcoholic to continue drinking to maintain the status quo. Many high-functioning alcoholics earn a good living and can support their families while continuing to drink. Intervening in the addictive behavior may be seen as a threat to the family’s financial security — even if the family must put up with emotional neglect or physical abuse. Bureau of Justice Statisticsnoted that nearly 60% of violent incidents against a domestic partner or family member were committed under the influence of alcohol.

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According to the National Institute for Drug Abuse, behavioral therapy is the most commonly used form of treatment. Family therapy is one of these services that can benefit you and your partner. Behavioral treatments aim to change drinking behavior through counseling. Health experts lead them, and studies support that they high functioning alcoholic husband are beneficial.

Family members may need to hold an intervention for their loved one with alcoholism. Professional interventions allow family members to communicate constructively in a safe environment. The first and most difficult step in the long-term recovery process is for them to admit they have a problem. Anytime a substance user moves from the precontemplation to the contemplation stage is a victory. In simple terms, precontemplation is not being aware there is a problem, and the contemplation stage is being aware there is a problem.

Alcoholics can go on to develop heart, respiratory and gastrointestinal disorders. There can also be declines in their mental and overall health, especially if they’re not eating healthy diets or engaging in physical activity. People can remain high-functioning for many years, but chronic alcohol use will take a toll either emotionally, physically, or both.

But they may put themselves or others in danger by drinking and driving, having risky sexual encounters, or blacking out, Benton says. As mentioned earlier, this form of alcohol abuse will have far-reaching, multifaceted consequences. They are at risk of drinking and driving, being unsafe or using poor judgment with others, and even blacking out, all of which can be fatal.

• Depending on the severity of your spouse’s alcohol dependence, a round-the-clock, immersive detox program that residential treatment provides may be needed.
• It is important to express to an HFA how his or her drinking is negatively affecting you (emotionally, spiritually, physically) and how you perceive it is harming others as well (friends, children).
• Consequently, many people may not realize their drinking has become a genuine problem.
• If your husband does make the decision to pursue treatment for high-functioning alcoholism, it is an important step, but there is still hard work ahead for both of you.
• Living with an alcoholic can be overwhelming, especially for a spouse or significant other.
• In the early stages, an alcoholic may want to set a party atmosphere or a very open environment in the house that supports their habit.
• Certain traits, such as independence and perfectionism, can add to a person’s hesitancy or reticence to seek help, says Grawert.

Relationships are complex and layered, and it takes a lot for a husband or a wife to make it work and keep the family structure healthy and whole. However, only a medical professional can diagnose someone with an AUD and determine Halfway house the severity of their AUD. Surround yourself with supportive people who will contribute to a healthy environment and slip and relapse prevention.