A high-functioning drug addict or alcoholic is someone who is addicted to a substance, but continues to live their life, go to work, and even keep friends and family. This archetype is the antithesis of the drug addict stereotype. Usually people that imagine alcoholics and drug addicts picture a dirty homeless guy with tattoos, no possessions, and a disdain for life.
A functioning user is anything but that. Their lives are seemingly uninterrupted, which proves to be quite dangerous concerning their addiction. They don’t have any reason to stop buying a bottle a day, or binging on drugs when they get off work. If you or anyone you know is a functioning drug addict or alcoholic, please call Intervention Association so we can connect you with the drug rehab center that will provide the necessary schedule alterations and professional drug addiction recovery.
Sometimes functioning users drink or get high or the job, while others wait until they off of work to indulge in their drug of choice. Particularly if the individual works alone or in a situation where they can drink or use, this allows them to get their fill anytime of day. Others can, or have to, wait until they are off work to grab a drink, a smoke, or a snort.
The pressures to quit using are relatively low when the person garners personal success or prestige. This puts them in a good position when they want to continue using. With functioning addicts, an intervention may be necessary to show the person that their behavior not only affects their health, but has an effect on the lives of others.
Although their addiction continues without interruption, the individual’s life will surely be affected in other ways. They may lose friends, family members, and other things they care about. Hobbies will dwindle and they may lose interest in things they used to love. People functioning with addictions still carry them around and the dependence will get worse until the world is crumbling around them.
Addiction always wins unless the person gets professional assistance from an esteemed addiction recovery center. It just may take some time for a functioning addict to realize what they are doing to themselves, and that they need the assistance of a substance abuse facility to free themselves of the bind of addiction to return to a rewarding life.
If you have a loved one that is throwing their life down the drain with a bottle or a pill, now is the time to get them help. With the guidance of Intervention Association you can stage an intervention to illuminate the issue to the individual. They remain in denial because they think that everything must be fine since they can hold down a job and support themselves and their habits, but with addiction that is never the case. Please call Intervention Association immediately to begin the process of finding the ideal addiction recovery clinic that meets your or your loved one’s needs and specific situation.
