Function in Life as an Alcoholic
A functional alcoholic is one who is addicted to alcohol, but manages to fulfill their daily obligations, duties, and tasks without allowing their addiction to interfere. This article is written assuming the reader is already having difficulties in their life due to alcohol consumption and/or addiction.
Contents
Steps
- Acknowledge you have a problem which you are not willing to solve.
- Make sure you are sober when you go to work. Going to work drunk can get you fired, or your professional accreditations revoked. Always make sure that you are sober at work.
- Always keep your promises. Even drunk promises... If you can remember what they are. People judge, and blackouts equal alcoholic.
- Before you leave your home, apply fresh deodorant, brush your teeth and floss. The major contributor to bad breath is remains of food stuck between your teeth. In addition to mouthwash, it is a pretty good idea to brush the tongue and soft palette to cleanse the breath. Cologne/perfume may be used, but in normal doses only. Excessive use will attract attention.
- Driving under the influence is very dangerous and people die as a result. "I was drunk and didn't know what I was doing" is not an excuse.
- Practice your speaking while drunk. Good luck! Others notice you slurring while you do not.
- Give your phone to someone else when you're drinking or put it where it's not easily accessible. This will help you avoid "drunk dialing" or "drunk texting." Also consider staying away from the computer to avoid e-mailing or instant messaging people while you're drunk. You may say things you don't want them to know or things you will otherwise regret saying.
- Realize that when you feel "buzzed" your alcohol level is probably higher than the legal limit because you've built up a tolerance. So, don't even consider driving when you're "just a little buzzed"
- When you get home from work, very quickly try to complete a few essential tasks related to keeping your job or the roof over your head. For example, quickly do your monthly rent transfer over the net, or quickly pen down a few solid points for an upcoming meeting at work. Do this over a ten or fifteen minute period whilst drinking a cup of coffee so that you delay hitting the bottle immediately, and get essential things done. Make it a non-negotiable rule that you need to pause in this way for twenty minutes when you get home from work each day.
Tips
- When you get home from work, very quickly try to complete a few essential tasks related to keeping your job or the roof over your head. For example, quickly do your monthly rent transfer over the net, or quickly pen down a few solid points for an upcoming meeting at work. Do this over a ten or fifteen minute period whilst drinking a cup of coffee so that you delay hitting the bottle immediately, and get essential things done. Make it a non-negotiable rule that you need to pause in this way for twenty minutes when you get home from work each day.
- Whenever you become unemployed, treat your day as the same, with "work hours" as job search time.
- Always be honest with doctors.
- Consult a nutritionist or a nutrition book about vitamins and supplements which can aid the body, especially the liver, in processing alcohol. This will help counteract some of the negative effects of alcohol and can often help relieve or even avoid hangovers which can hamper efforts to be functional.
- Ask your doctor to help you with your drinking problems if you feel like you're losing control. Your alcoholism might manifest into something more serious, at which point it becomes impossible to be functional.
- If ever arrested for any offense, the best approach is extreme politeness and cooperation. Better driven home in the squad car than spending the night in the drunk tank.
- If you do chose to seek help for your alcohol problems, research your options. You can look into Alcoholic Anonymous, or you can look into other options that are not based on the twelve steps. Find the one that's right for you.
- Whenever possible, drink at home to avoid any possible legal ramifications.
Warnings
- Alcoholism is a serious disease. This article is solely intended for those who already share this problem, and wish to know how to fit into society without their disease becoming an issue.
- Alcoholism can and will eventually lead to liver disease as well as a plethora of other health problems if not treated, no matter if it's functioning alcoholism or not.
- Be aware that even though you may feel sober the next morning, or afternoon; depending on the amount you drank, you could still be legally drunk.
- Never drive after you've been drinking. Drunk driving is one of the leading causes of death on the highways. Be smart and give up your keys when you've been drinking.
- Most alcoholics eventually lose to the disease and are no longer functional.
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