When you think of an alcoholic, you may picture someone slumped over with a drink in hand at 11 am. While that can be the case for some people, it doesn’t have to be that way for all. In some instances, people may be alcoholics while still successfully performing the requirements of everyday life. These are functioning alcoholics and here’s a few signs of this type of alcoholism.
Functioning Alcoholics: Signs and Symptoms
Alcohol is the First Thing On the Brain After Work
Unlike the alcoholic described above, functioning alcoholics may have a thriving career. In that case, you wouldn’t be able to drink before or during work for the most part. Which is why most people with this condition will think of nothing but alcohol once they leave work. Feeling the need for a drink before you even clock out may be a sign you’re a functioning alcoholic.
You Drink More Than You Planned To
Another sign of functioning alcoholics is that they often drink more than they intend to. For instance, you may plan to only have one glass of wine with your dinner. However, one thing leads to another and you are several drinks in. Not being able to stick with your plan to drink mildly may can be signs of functioning alcoholism.
You Feel Shaking In the Morning
In many cases, our bodies tells us thing before anyone else ever does. Which is why functioning alcoholics may feel shaking after waking up in the morning. After having a drink, the shakes will go away. This acts as a sign of alcohol dependency and a symptom of withdrawal. If you are experiencing withdrawals, you have developed a dependency on alcohol. Therefore, this can be a sign of functioning alcoholism.
If You Experience Black Outs
Another sign of functioning alcoholics is frequent or regular black outs. The term “black out” may make you think of college years when you threw up and passed out on someone’s couch. In functioning alcoholics, this may seem a lot more subtle and calm. But drinking to the point of falling asleep in the chair or having no memory of going to bed can count as a black out. In most healthy drinking habits, people do not reach this point. But a functioning alcohol might do so frequently.
