Functioning Alcoholic

[getdowwwwwn]

A friend seems to drink far too much.

She's fine during the day whilst at work but as soon as she's home she appears to drink a lot. It's quite a lot every evening without fail and then probably from lunchtime onwards at weekends, ie with lunch and then continued through into the night.

She would deny she has a problem as she holds down a good job, but I'm concerned as she has children at home.

At what stage would you class someone as a functioning alcoholic?

Is it the amount they drink or how often, or both?

Thanks!

Not true that people automatically become non functional. I know a functional alcoholic, a nurse, who has been like this for many many years. She will continue doing so until it seriously affects her health.

She might be functional at her job, but her job is not her entire life and unless you live with her, you don't see all of her life. It's bound to have affected some of her relationships, for example. Functional doesn't just mean able to work.