How to Stage an Intervention for a High-Functioning Alcoholic

In America, our society has created many stereotypes about alcoholism. Movies, TV shows, and even cartoons depict people with this substance use disorder as chaotic, struggling, and stumbling. In reality, an alcoholic may look very different.

Most people who struggle to control their drinking seem entirely normal. To confirm this, we need look no further than the current statistics: today, thirty percent of U.S. adults are estimated to have a problem with alcohol. These individuals are going to work, raising families, and navigating relationships just like the rest of us – however, they still need help. Today, we’ll guide you through the process of staging an intervention for a high-functioning alcoholic. 

What is a High-Functioning Alcoholic?

Alcohol is the most widely used (and abused) mind-altering substance around the world. According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (also called the NIAAA), in a given year, over 26% of U.S. adults reported binge drinking at least once per month. Binge drinking is just one subtype of problem drinking: a pattern of addictive behavior that can lead to a substance use disorder. The more a person binge drinks or drinks heavily, the more likely they are to develop a problem – even if they seem completely fine on the surface.

Like all disorders, addiction exists on a spectrum. This chronic, progressive disease tends to get worse over time. When a person has developed a dependence on alcohol but is still able to function in daily life, he is considered a high-functioning alcoholic.

Functioning alcoholics battle constant cravings, problem drinking, or heavy drinking, but still manage to get through their day-to-day tasks. They maintain employment, complete school, and have fulfilling relationships. However, despite their outward appearance, they do not “have it all together.” Someone in this situation is often entrenched in deep denial about their problem. Until they experience some sort of breaking point – a DUI, health issue, or job loss – they are unlikely to seek help on their own.

Look for the Signs

Before you decide to stage an intervention, we encourage you to evaluate your loved one for the telltale signs of high-functioning alcoholism. While they may not display all the clinical criteria for a substance use disorder, many early symptoms may still be present. If any of these bulleted items remind you of your friend or family member, it’s time to take the next step.

Early signs of alcoholism include…

• Difficulty controlling their drinking
• High tolerance for alcohol (being able to drink a lot at one time)
• Saying they will stop drinking (and being unable to do so)
• Always wanting to go out or drink while staying in
• Behaving very differently while intoxicated
• Drinking at inappropriate times
• Changes to mood, attitude, or speech
• Regularly blacking out
• Changes to eating or sleeping patterns
• Using alcohol to unwind or reward themselves
• Calling in sick or skipping social events
• Drinking to build confidence in social settings
• Joking about a potential drinking problem
• Hiding alcohol or otherwise concealing how much they drink

Don’t Wait for Rock Bottom

You may be familiar with the old adage that you should let an alcoholic “hit rock bottom” before seeking help. In reality, we are called to help people well before this point. If you see someone beginning to struggle, do not wait until things get worse. Treatment is often most effective when obtained early in the cycle of addiction.

Staging an Intervention

Because a person in the early stages of alcoholism tends to hide their problem (and exist in a state of denial), it is important for loved ones to intervene. This process can be uncomfortable, but it is incredibly valuable and can even save a life.

First, speak with the rest of the family and decide who you would like to be a part of the intervention. While some people may be close to your loved one, those who will cast blame or react dramatically should be excluded from this occasion. Ensure that everyone involved knows that the tone of the conversation should be concerned and not explosive.

Next, plan what you will say and how it will be said. Each person should get a turn to speak, but try to keep everyone’s contributions relatively short. Interventions should not drag on for hours; the goal is to inspire your loved one to address their problem immediately.

After you have practiced, choose a time and date to stage the intervention. Be sure to pick a time when your loved one is sober; early morning is usually best. In the time before the conversation takes place, research treatment centers, iron out your financial options, and speak with admissions professionals from each facility. This will ensure that you have a plan for what your family member will do afterwards.

Finally, it’s time to intervene. As we’ve stated, a high-functioning alcoholic may be in deep denial about their problem. Don’t be upset if you have to repeat your concerns, or if things don’t go exactly according to the schedule you made. Instead, stay flexible and help everyone to list their grievances and provide the ultimatum. You can then help them to get to treatment.

While many interventions are successful, other people require multiple conversations before they finally agree to get help. Regardless of the outcome, set boundaries and support your loved one. Your continued involvement in their lives can guide them to treatment at another point in the future.

Christian Addiction Treatment for Alcoholism

At Celebrate Hope, our team of addiction specialists is prepared to help your family to walk with Christ and find recovery along the way. Through a combination of cutting-edge treatments and Biblically rooted counseling, we have helped hundreds of people to break the cycle of addiction. Please contact us today for more information about our faith-based treatment programs for alcoholism

Two Types of Alcoholics

Drugs and alcohol take their toll on the human brain, which can be measured through a number of scanning techniques. When compared to the brains of people who have not had a substance use disorder, clear differences can be seen. That being said, the brain of one alcohol user may look different than another, and new research may have found that there are two types of alcoholics. Researchers from the University of Eastern Finland found that while all alcoholics share similar brain changes, some alterations are exclusive to one type of alcoholic but not another, PsychCentral reports. The findings are published in the journal Alcohol and Alcoholism.

There are two types of alcoholics, anxiety-prone (Type I) and impulsive (Type II) based on Cloninger’s typology, according to the article. The researchers looked at post-mortem brains from both types of alcoholics and a control group.

“From the viewpoint of the study setting, this division was made in order to highlight the wide spectrum of people suffering from alcohol dependence. The reality, of course, is far more diverse, and not every alcoholic fits into one of these categories,” said Olli Kärkkäinen, M.Sc. (Pharm).

Typically, Type I alcoholics are more prone to anxiety and are more likely to become dependent on alcohol later in life, the article reports. On the other hand, Type II alcoholics usually become dependent on alcohol when they are younger and show greater impulsivity and antisocial behavior. In Type I alcoholic brains, the researchers found:

• Changes in the endocannabinoid system, which modulates stress responses.
• Increased Docosahexaenoylethanolamide levels in the amygdala, possibly linked to their anxiety prone nature.

With Type II alcoholic brains, the researchers found elevated levels of AMPA receptors in the anterior cingulate cortex, according to the article. That part of the brain has a hand in learning and the regulation of behavior, which could explain the impulsive nature of Type II alcoholics.

“These findings enhance our understanding of changes in the brain that make people prone to alcoholism and that are caused by long-term use. Such information is useful for developing new drug therapies for alcoholism, and for targeting existing treatments at patients who will benefit the most,” said Kärkkäinen, the study findings were part of his doctoral thesis.

Addiction Recovery Goes Mainstream

In recent years, there have been a variety of cable TV programs that tie addiction recovery into the story line. In a number of shows, you can see characters working programs of recovery - sometimes more accurately than others. Nevertheless, completely accurate or not, it is nice that addiction recovery is considered to be topical enough to incorporate into prime time television. With the nation facing a prescription opioid and heroin crisis - affecting millions of Americans, it is good for people to see that addiction no longer carries the stigma it once did. Addiction is a mental illness that needs come out of the darkness so that people will seek the help they so desperately need.

If you have been perusing Netflix of late, you may have stumbled upon a new series called Flaked. The show was co-written by former Arrested Development co-star Will Arnett. The show centers around a character named Chip who is a recovering alcoholic and regularly attends meetings of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). While the series is fictional, it draws from a number of Arnett’s own experiences with alcoholism.

"When I see people saying 'Other shows have tackled (the subject) better,' I say, 'You can't say that it's not accurate, because it's my experience,' " Arnett told USA Today. "I'm shedding a little light on my relationship with my own sobriety, which at times has been tricky at best." 

Another Netflix show that ties addiction into the story is called Love, starring Paul Rust and Gillian Jacobs. The show was written by Paul Rust, along with his wife Lesley Arfin who drew from her own past experience with addiction. Jacobs' character, Mickey, is a functioning alcoholic, drug and sex and love addict who is new to the program.

"I wasn't trying to think, 'How can every single person relate to this one character?'" said Arfin about creating Love to USA Today. "As far as Mickey's concerned, she's new to recovery, so it's not going to be her whole personality or overtake anything." 

Both Flaked and Love are relatively lighthearted and even comical at times, but they paint a fairly accurate picture of what people recovering from addiction go through on a day to day basis. If you have a moment, it may be worth your time to watch both series.