【海外の反応】”高機能アルコール依存症”のさりげないサインが怖すぎると話題に

They drink a lot but never seem drunk.

Oh you don’t need to look for subtle signs. I’ll tell ya straight up. Im an alcoholic. Part of the “high functioning” part is that I’m self aware. Just unwilling to change.

When drinking is ritualized: Starts drinking an exact time, sets a schedule or routine( starts with beer for 2 hours,switch to mixed drinks at a certain hour,etc).

For me, I held down my job but did it poorly, always showing up late with an excuse, lots of sick days to nurse hangovers. 

Never had booze in the house because it’d be gone shortly after arriving. 

The biggest tell was that once I had one drink, I wouldn’t stop until I slept or passed out. I’d wake up at three AM on the couch not knowing what day of the week it was and whether I had to work that morning (I usually did). 

If I had a drink at a work function or family gathering, I couldnt stop. I had to keep the party going. Otherwise the cravings would just be too incessant to resist without a significant ordeal. 

So, I had a job, had relationships, didn’t experience any jail time, blackouts, or major humiliations. But my life revolved around the next drink. 

Alcoholic here! 10 years sober.

So, in yourself, it is never running out of booze. You plan your drinking so well that you would never run out and not notice. Also, being drunk and realizing you don't want to be as drunk as you are. And of course, the classic not being able to stop drinking once you start…but I never wanted to stop TBH. I find that drug horribly addictive, and sobering up mid-day is a bizarre concept to me that I would never do to myself on purpose. I think that is genuinely weird behavior.

Spotting it in others, it's vodka. Handsdown. Everyone…literally everyone at my rehab was very often drinking vodka toward the end. Usually hidden in waterbottles. Because, here is the biggest giveaways, our skin smells and vodka is the least "smelly" because it has the least of this flavor stuff called congeners. When you drink a lot, it literally comes out of your pores, so even on days we don't drink, the oils of our skin can still smell like booze. Dead giveaway. I can smell it from across the room.

I talk about this and more online at WillSoSober if you're interested. 🙂

They love leaving the house to do tasks like pick up the groceries, go get gas, get the car washed , ANYTHING so they can stop and buy pops after each stop then get “one drink” as soon they get home. Oh that’s not subtle?

I avoided letting people see my hands. Signing things was a problem. Eating salads at lunch, soup etc. My face was super bloated all the time.

My grandfather was one & I suspect my father is one.

They aren't shy about alcohol consumption nor do they hide it as an alcoholic might be expected to do. My grandad just did most of his drinking around other people.

What was subtle however was his morning greyhound (ocean spray ruby red juice & vodka) and a cigarette before everyone else got up for breakfast then he'd eat with everyone once they were up.

My cousin couldn't do anything once she was home without drinking first. She'd get off work, pick up her kids, stop at the liquor store, drink at home, then do whatever chores needed to be done like dishes or laundry.

On the weekends is when she'd just drink nonstop throughout the day, but come Monday she was on time for work and repreating it all for the rest of the week. Eventually she was no longer a functioning alcoholic and couldn't manage her life anymore.

I planned all my "sober" time so that when it was time to drink I could non stop. My bills were paid, career on track, but a hundred pounds overweight and not having fun drinking. 6 years sober, 100 lbs lighter, definitely happier.