Take Our High Functioning Alcoholic Quiz

Identifying Whether You or a Loved One is a High-Functioning Alcoholic

Are you looking for a high functioning alcoholic quiz to better understand the condition you or a loved one is facing? High functioning alcoholism is something that most people have heard of, but not everyone can define it accurately.

How do you know if this is a description that accurately describes where you are in life? The quiz on this page, along with the rest of our resource , will help you evaluate your alcohol consumption and determine if changes are needed.

Of course, if you are on this page, there is a good chance that you already know alcohol abuse is a problem in your life, or in the life of a loved one. If excessive drinking has become a problem and alcohol dependence has become a way of life, reach out to Icarus Recovery Center today.

We have helped countless individuals confront alcohol abuse and alcohol addiction head-on, and we’d love to do the same for you or your loved one. Feel free to reach out confidentially at any time for our immediate assistance and support as you read our resource for more information and answers.

What Does “High Functioning Alcoholic” Really Mean?

Let’s start by making it clear that the term “high functioning alcoholic” is not a medical diagnosis. You won’t be formally given this term by a doctor after a period of excessive alcohol use. Instead, this is a general expression used casually to describe someone who seems to function well in daily life by meeting the criteria for alcohol use disorder.

When most people picture someone with an alcohol addiction, they imagine someone who is struggling to get by in life. Their alcohol misuse has led them into many difficult places and situations, and they may not be able to keep a job or maintain somewhere stable to live. Such a person certainly needs and deserves help, and their struggles are obvious to the outside world.

Functional alcoholism is different because many of those markers are not in place. A person in this category may have a steady job, or even a thriving career. They may own and maintain a nice home, have lasting relationships, and keep up with various social obligations. From the outside, things look good, even if they are using alcohol as a coping mechanism and are heading down a dangerous path.

Why High Functioning Alcoholism is So Hard to Recognize

The common signs that someone needs addiction treatment for alcohol use are many of the things we discussed above. It might be problems at work, getting into legal trouble, or an obvious decline in health. Friends and loved ones might be able to connect the dots and see that these problems are from alcohol intake, and they could decide to step in and suggest a change.

If those indicators aren’t present, however, it becomes quite difficult for others to notice that anything is wrong. You might consume alcohol mostly in private, hiding your drinking habits from the rest of the world. There will still be issues like withdrawal symptoms and mental health complications, but as long as you generally keep your life together, the drinking problem can be obscured for years.

Take Our High-Functioning Alcoholic Quiz

As mentioned earlier, there isn’t a formal medical diagnosis for high functioning alcoholism. Instead, you’ll need to evaluate for yourself whether you are a functional alcoholic, and then decide to take action from there. To help in that pursuit, we’ve created a quick, informal quiz. Go through the quiz below, answering the questions honestly, and then interpret the results to see where you stand.

1. How often do you drink alcohol?

• I drink rarely or only on special occasions (0 points)
• I drink a few times per week (1 point)
• I drink most days (2 points)
• I drink every day or nearly every day (3 points)

1. When you start drinking, how easy is it to stop at one or two drinks?

• I can consistently stop without difficulty (0 points)
• I sometimes drink more than planned (1 point)
• I frequently drink more than planned (2 points)
• I almost always drink more than intended (3 points)

1. Do you rely on alcohol to relax, sleep, socialize, or cope with stress?

• I do not rely on alcohol for these purposes (0 points)
• I occasionally use alcohol to unwind or relax (1 point)
• I often rely on alcohol to manage stress or emotions (2 points)
• I feel uncomfortable or unable to relax without alcohol (3 points)

1. Have you noticed an increase in your tolerance over time?

• No, my tolerance has stayed the same (0 points)
• I need slightly more alcohol than I used to (1 point)
• I need significantly more alcohol to feel effects (2 points)
• I rarely feel the effects unless I drink heavily (3 points)

1. How do you feel when you cannot drink or try to cut back?

• No noticeable change (0 points)
• Mild irritation or restlessness (1 point)
• Anxiety, irritability, or difficulty sleeping (2 points)
• Strong emotional distress or physical discomfort (3 points)

1. Have you ever hidden, minimized, or lied about your drinking?

• Never (0 points)
• Rarely (1 point)
• Occasionally (2 points)
• Frequently (3 points)

1. Have others expressed concern about your drinking?

• No one has ever mentioned it (0 points)
• Someone mentioned it once in passing (1 point)
• More than one person has expressed concern (2 points)
• I have been confronted multiple times (3 points)

1. Has alcohol negatively affected your mood, mental health, or relationships?

• Not at all (0 points)
• Minor or occasional effects (1 point)
• Ongoing emotional or relational strain (2 points)
• Significant problems that I struggle to control (3 points)

1. Do you justify your drinking by pointing to responsibilities, success, or productivity?

• I do not justify my drinking this way (0 points)
• I occasionally think this way (1 point)
• I often use this reasoning (2 points)
• This is a primary reason I believe my drinking is not a problem (3 points)

1. Have you tried to cut back or stop drinking and been unsuccessful?

• I have never tried to cut back (0 points)
• I tried once and struggled slightly (1 point)
• I have tried multiple times without lasting success (2 points)
• I feel unable to stop on my own (3 points)

Interpreting Your Quiz Results

Take a moment to add up your total points from the ten questions above. Then, you can use the ranges below as a general range to understand what your score may say about heavy drinking and the role it plays in your life.

0-7 Points: Low Risk

Your responses generally indicate that alcohol may not be a central problem in your life. With that said, it’s important to still be aware of your drinking habits, and seeking treatment could be appropriate if you are worried about the path you are on.

8-15 Points: Mild Risk

Scores in this range indicate patterns that could be turning into a problem. Alcohol consumption might be playing a bigger role in your life than you understand, and you might be using it to deal with mental disorders or other problems you are facing.

16-23 Points: High Risk

At this point, it’s very likely that you are dependent on alcohol, even if you are managing to maintain an appearance of a functional life outwardly. People in this range may be experiencing problems with emotional stability, mental health, relationships, and more.

24-30 Points: Severe Risk

It would be smart for people in this range to reach out to treatment facilities right away to learn more about how to enter successful recovery. You may find it impossible to manage your alcohol problem alone at this point, and keeping up with work and family responsibilities may soon prove to be beyond your grasp.

What are the Common Traits of a High Functioning Alcoholic

No two people are the same when it comes to alcoholism, but there are patterns that can be spotted among those who fit into this “high functioning” category. First, many in this situation treat alcohol as a reward system.

For example, if they meet their professional responsibilities for the day, the reward could be a drink or two after getting home. This might seem harmless enough, but the next drink is never far away with this approach, and the quantity tends to go up and up over time.

Also, many high functioning alcoholics will frame their success in other areas of life as proof that alcohol is no problem. When they perform a self assessment, they point to various types of professional and personal accomplishments to justify the choice to continue drinking. As long as they are paying bills and meeting daily responsibilities, the drinking isn’t questioned, even as health problems may begin to mount.

One other common trait to watch for is secrecy when drinking. Consuming alcohol is often a social activity, but for a functioning alcoholic, it may become something that is done privately to avoid drawing attention and appearing intoxicated. Part of the way a functioning alcoholic can avoid strained relationships and other problems is by hiding their level of alcohol use from those around them.

The Emotional and Mental Toll of High Functioning Alcoholism

Being an alcoholic, whether high functioning or not, can be exhausting. Trying to deal with emotional issues through alcohol use and without getting the necessary support from a professional is sure to take a serious toll. There are consequences that will come about from these habits, and it’s just a matter of time before the vicious cycle starts to spin out of control.

Many people in this situation experience chronic anxiety, guilt, and ongoing self-criticism. At first, the alcohol will serve to quiet these intrusive thoughts and cut down on stress. But that only works for a while. Gradually, emotional highs and lows will become more intense, and instead of solving the problem, alcohol will only make it worse.

Cravings are another problem here. When experiencing cravings, it takes tremendous mental energy to fight off the urge to have a drink, and the individual’s ability to do anything else is restricted by their ongoing internal struggle over whether or not to consume alcohol at any given time.

Alcoholism Also Comes with Many Physical Health Risks

It’s not only the problems of mental illness that need to be considered when dealing with alcohol addiction. There are many physical implications that should not be overlooked, as well. Long-term, heavy drinking is almost certain to lead to a long list of physical health problems that will develop gradually over time until they become too serious to ignore.

Liver disease is perhaps the best-known physical symptom of a drinking problem. In addition to problems with your liver, you may also be at an increased risk of heart disease and high blood pressure, have a weakened immune system, digestive issues, sleep disruptions, and more. There really isn’t any part of your physical health that isn’t impacted in a negative way by the use of alcohol.

If you are busy in daily life, you may not slow down long enough to understand or notice that your drinking habits are taking a toll on your body. If you’ve noticed small signs like fatigue, headaches, or frequent illness, you might pass them off as just signs of aging or stress. It could be more than that, however.

There’s a good chance that your alcohol use disorder is actually at the heart of these issues, and going through detox and getting help with your addiction can turn your life in a new direction.

Letting Go of the “High Functioning” Label

There is an inherent problem with the term “high functioning alcoholic”. While it still includes the word “alcoholic”, it is buried under what seems to be a compliment. After all, how could something be bad if it is “high functioning”? The expression makes it seem like everything is fine, when that is actually not the case at all.

So, the first step in the process of working toward lasting recovery should be to drop the “high functioning” label from your mindset. Don’t think of yourself as someone who is high functioning. Instead, think of yourself as an alcoholic who needs to get help. You don’t have to wait for things to get worse, and for the external appearances of success to fade.

You can get help today before things fall apart completely. When you don’t use the high functioning label as a shield to protect yourself from the truth, you are suddenly able to see the situation for what it really is.

Explore Your Alcohol Treatment Options at Our Accredited Facility

Recovery does not look the same for everyone. The path is unique for each individual, although there are treatments that are commonly used for many people dealing with alcohol addiction.

For example, treatment often starts with a medical detox to break the pattern of alcohol use and to interrupt the body’s reliance on this substance. As withdrawal symptoms are managed and the process moves along, you’ll be able to leave rehab and get into a structured treatment program to address the underlying causes of addiction.

Some treatment options will have you living in the treatment facility, while others will be structured as outpatient care. Either way, you can work with experienced therapists, join group sessions, and engage in many other activities that will gradually put you on the road toward lasting recovery. The goal, of course, is not only to break your current reliance on alcohol, but also to set you up to be sober for a lifetime. That might feel like a goal that is out of reach currently, but it can come into focus when you attack it one day at a time.

Tackle All Forms of Alcohol Use Disorder at Icarus Today

Don’t let the term “high functioning alcoholic” distract from the fact that this condition is still a serious problem. If you or a loved one is dealing with alcohol dependency, now is the time to turn your life in a new direction.

Whether your drinking habits have recently spiraled out of control or you have been pushing the limits of binge drinking and excessive alcohol consumption for years, don’t let this pattern continue for another day.

The first step is placing a call to Icarus Recovery Center in New Mexico. Our friendly and experienced team will talk with you about substance use disorder without any judgment or criticism. We only want what is best for you and your future.

Leave a life of drinking alcohol behind and get support for sobriety as a part of a holisitic approach to improve your whole life. Please reach out confidentially to get proven options at Icarus today.