Beware a Functional Alcoholic

When you're dealing with someone who has an addiction, they are going to be dropping balls. They're not going to be functioning at their best self. But if they're still either going to work or going to school most of the time or paying bills or taking care of the kids, they're still functioning. At least 50% of their responsibilities are getting taken care of. Then we're going to call them still in the functional category. Now, the biggest problem with this situation is that because the person is still functional, they're usually in denial. They're usually thinking things like, well, I can't possibly be an alcoholic or addict because I go to work, I pay my bills, I take care of my kids. Like, I'm not like those people who are on the street. I still get up every day and do X, Y or Z. They have a lot of these rationalizations and justifications going on. So if your addicted loved one is in this category, the good news is you're in the right place because that's what this channel is all about.