Consuming alcohol is staple requirement for being social in our society as well as a potent method for self-medicating or stress management. On college campuses, it’s even more common to see a student walk down the street with a beer in their hand, unaware of their developing alcohol dependency. A lot of people who binge drink say that it helps them bond with their peers, feel happier and more relaxed, and helps them escape their mountain of stressful work. I often wonder if many people stop and think about the fact that alcohol, although not illegal to consume and purchase after being of age, is a drug that is dangerous when consumed in excess and can lead to bad side effects and eventually alcohol addiction. What’s more, if someone crosses the line of drinking too much alcohol, they can develop a lifestyle of being a high-functioning addict and can struggle with addiction recovery in the long run.
Alcohol: Why Do We Use It?
Like any other drug, being hooked on alcohol brings huge consequences to someone’s health and overall life. Many people addicted to alchohol are everyday people from all walks of life. After consistent use, it causes a high dependence with a strong need to drink, a loss of control from not being able to stop, physical dependence from withdrawal symptoms, and increased tolerance so one will need to consume larger amounts to achieve the same effect over a period of time. What started out as casual drinking at happy hour at first can often spiral into a binge drinking habit that causes problems at school, work, home, and leads to many problems in all aspects of life.
The High-Functioning Addict
Almost a fifth of young adults, especially college students who often consume alcohol, can considered a highly functional addict. High-functioning alcoholics are hard to notice since they have learned how to mask it fairly easily in their life. Chronic drinking also leads to a negative change in how they look, act, and feel through their day. Although some high-functioning alcoholics might never experience severe problems, they need help to notice and fix the problem while they can. Some tell-tale signs of one, especially if they’re a college student, is if that they use drinks to wind down after stressful work or become more confident at social gatherings, drink by themselves at home, black out often, run into problems with the campus police, often joke about having an addiction online or in person, miss class repeatedly, or get rather upset and defensive when confronted about their habits.
On a college campus, I’ve witnessed many of my peers start their taste of alcohol with a few drinks here and there and eventually become a high-functional addict. Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing bad about having fun and enjoying a drink in moderation if you’re of age. The point is that binge drinking to manage stress or self-medicate is what causes extreme negative changes to occur in the body. Drinking a lot of alcohol is socially acceptable in college and doesn’t exactly have the same stigma attached to it as harder drugs like marijuana, cocaine, or Adderall. What seemed like a moderate activity can grow into a weekly wine night, endless rounds of beers at happy hour, and vodka shots on weekends to celebrate just getting through the week. Rarely are such nights filled with truly wholesome memories, as many people I have come across in college thus far have experienced a painful black out, threw up from feeling sick, or even get lost on campus by themselves or wandering off with a stranger who could put their safety at risk. The media and social norms around us are also constantly showing a glamorized version of drinking after work or at lunch breaks as a figure of humor. From movies like “The Hangover”, “Project X”, and “Office Christmas Party”, to TV shows like “Shameless” and “Ivy League” that showcase excessive drinking, it seems like battling the side effects of alchohol is a piece of cake when done right. However, this notion is incredibly false and is misleading thousands of people who believe the lie.
Jobs and Addiction
A high-functioning addict will eventually learn to manage their alchohol dependency and combat their work load in their careers as well. Over time, they are able to balance both influences in their life without one overtaking the other. Juggling both aspects in their life eventually leads to them believing they work just as well, or even better, while intoxicated. While a person may feel increased productivity from the “high” they experience in the short term, the overall quality of their work will inevitably suffer. This can lead to serious problems in the workplace and even put their standing in their firm at risk. It won’t be long until other coworkers will notice their shifting behavior and occasional absences to consume alchohol during the day.
Even if a person acknowledges that they have a problem and attempt to self-detox, doing so during work is incredibly risky and can bring an onset of extreme withdrawal symptoms. It’s important for any high functioning alcoholic to seek professional treatment and create a plan that caters to their lifestyle for recovery. It’s up to an individual to initiate change for their health themselves, since doing so can bring the real results that they wish to seek.
