One of the problems with alcohol treatment is that it sometimes assumes there is a stereotypical alcoholic, someone who is scruffy, malnourished, someone who struggles to hold down a steady job. However, there are many shades of alcoholism, and stereotypes, whilst sometimes hinting at the truth, merely parody the reality of alcohol abuse.
Many alcoholics, for example, are functioning alcoholics. This means essentially that they go about their life as they would normally, holding down a job, family, friends and even kids, whilst continuing to abuse alcohol. The problem is that this charade can’t continue forever, and usually leads to many serious personal, physical and social problems.
One of the biggest dangers of functioning alcoholism is that it can lead sufferers to drink whilst they are at work. Alcoholism doesn’t discriminate, and so even those in high profile, demanding jobs can be sufferers. Doctors, airline pilots, builders, it doesn’t matter, and being drunk whilst at work could obviously lead to all kinds of safety issues, for the sufferer and those in the vicinity.
Because of the nature of functioning alcoholism many sufferers are in denial, they simply don’t associate their kind of drinking with problem drinking. There are many things that suggest functioning alcoholism, do you drink in inappropriate places, do you rarely get hangovers, do you drink at all hours of the day?
Functioning alcoholism is but one of the many shades of alcohol abuse, and it can be treated. Many sufferers find some help at an alcohol rehabilitation clinic or alcohol detox clinic.
