Am I a High-Functioning Alcoholic? Know the Signs

People with alcohol use disorders, however, drink to excess, endangering both themselves and others. This question-and-answer fact sheet explains alcohol problems and how psychologists can help people recover. A drink a day, especially with a meal, has been linked to lower risks for heart disease, diabetes, and a host of other conditions. But seven drinks in a day can lead to an inflammatory response that tips health in the other direction. The knowledge that only 10% of heavy drinkers are alcoholic may be reassuring, but that doesn’t mean the other 90% aren’t have problems with drinking.

The aggregate indicator from taxation data included consumption for the entire population based on production, import, export and sales (6). Alcohol detox isn’t easy and not everyone can do it on their own. That is why alcohol detox and alcohol withdrawal treatment is administered by medical professionals. We encourage you to learn more about The Recovery Village’s approach to health and wellness during alcohol treatment and to seek help, especially if your or a loved one’s alcoholism has reached the end-stage.

Stages of Alcoholism

Esther received a Certificate of Achievement in Addiction Studies at San Diego City College and has been a certified CADCII since 2002. Esther’s extensive knowledge in Crisis Intervention has helped her motivate many individuals suffering from substance abuse issues take the first steps towards healing. Joining HVRC in 2011 as a graduate of the Body Mind College in San Diego, CA, Midge has been practicing as a Holistic Health Practitioner since 1993.

John C. Umhau, MD, MPH, CPE is board-certified in addiction medicine and preventative medicine. For over 20 years Dr. Umhau was a senior clinical investigator at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism of the National Institutes of Health https://ecosoberhouse.com/article/10-useful-sobriety-sayings-that-can-help/ (NIH). A CT scan of the upper abdomen showing a fatty liver (steatosis of the liver). Note the liver enlargement and dark color compared with the spleen (gray body in lower right). They’re often due to blocked blood flow through the portal vein.

What are the symptoms of alcohol use disorder?

Alcohol abuse of any kind puts people at a greater risk of developing more serious problems over time. Someone who experiences even 2 of the 11 criteria qualifies as having a mild how long do alcoholics live disorder. 6 or more criteria denote a chronic alcohol use disorder, otherwise known as alcoholism. What starts as casual drinking advances into dependence and addiction over time.

• Once damage begins, it can take a long time to become noticeable, as the liver is generally highly effective at regenerating and repairing itself.
• When most people drink to their tolerance level, they exhibit signs of intoxication.
• Over time, this can lead to scarring and cirrhosis of the liver, which is the final phase of alcoholic liver disease.
• Anyone who drinks alcohol heavily, even for a few days, will develop a condition in which liver cells are swollen with fat globules and water.
• While on the surface, it appears that someone with a drinking problem has the same issues as someone with alcoholism, that’s where the similarities end.

Alcohol-induced hepatitis begins quietly, often without symptoms. Many people fail to recognize the damage that chronic heavy drinking may be doing to their livers. But early recognition is your best hope of catching and reversing the effects of alcohol-induced hepatitis. If you have a history of heavy alcohol use and/or symptoms of liver disease, call your healthcare provider.

Signs and symptoms

If you don’t have liver cirrhosis yet, your liver can actually heal itself, that is, if you stop drinking alcohol. You may need an alcohol rehabilitation program or counseling to break free from alcohol. Vitamins, especially B-complex vitamins and folic acid, can help reverse malnutrition. If cirrhosis develops, you will need to manage the problems it can cause. Cirrhosis of the liver
Our liver filters out harmful substances, cleans our blood, stores energy and aids in digestion. Too much alcohol can be toxic to liver cells, causing dehydration and permanent scarring—which ultimately affects the blood flow.

In early-stage alcoholism, the person maintains and may increase their alcohol use. Bill joined the HVRC family in February 2015; he started his Career in the profession of Chemical Dependency Treatment in 2006 and has been a California State Certified Counselor with a CADCII credential since 2008. Bill has extensive experience working with adults, adolescents, special populations and their families, and has worked in various therapeutic settings including Detox, Outpatient and Residential Treatment. Bill has also provided addiction education to communities, schools, families and student counselors as an instructor for CCAPP Academy since 2008. Bill continues to work with individuals and groups to help them better understand the disease of addiction. With his non-judgmental, patient, and empathetic approach, Bill continuously serves to encourage patients to reach their full potential.

There’s a link between alcohol misuse and the risk of suicidal thoughts, attempts and death by suicide. A 2021 study found men with a history of alcohol charges have more than twice the risk of suicide. Older people may have an unhealthy reliance on alcohol later in life due to life changes, like the death of a loved one or failing health. These changes can lead to depression, anxiety, loneliness or boredom, which can cause older adults to drink too much.

A 2014 study found that the life expectancy of an alcoholic was between 24 and 28 years shorter than the average lifespan of the general population. If they go even a few hours without a drink, severe withdrawal symptoms can set in for the person. However, someone with a drinking problem will not experience symptoms such as tremors, excessive sweating, insomnia, or anxiety after they haven’t had a drink in a few hours.

Any conditions that have reversed will typically return once drinking restarts. Heavy drinking can also look like occasional binge drinking — more than five drinks in a night for men and people AMAB or four for women and people AFAB. If you keep up this pace for as little as six months, your risk of developing alcohol-induced hepatitis rises significantly. Most people have been drinking for five years or more, with periods of abstinence.