Do "High-Functioning" Alcoholics Really Exist?

The phrase is meant as a warning but can easily become an excuse.

Photo by Vasily Koloda on Unsplash

I used to think of myself as a high-functioning alcoholic. In fact, I used to think of myself as the epitome of the phrase.

When my addiction was at its very worst—when I was drinking every single night without fail—I was also experiencing many of the greatest successes of my life.

During those drinking years, I went from working a low-wage warehouse job to attending one of the top law schools in the country on a full scholarship. To add to that, I did amazingly well in school, making Dean’s List every semester, gaining entrance to the prestigious law review, and graduating with honors.

Even while studying for the bar exam, I was still getting drunk every night. Sometimes I went so far as to drink while I studied. It wasn’t until shortly after passing the bar that I finally got sober.