There is No Such Thing as a “Functioning Alcoholic.”
Taylor Swift’s semi-admission to kinda-sorta-being an alcoholic
In her new album, Taylor Swift sings about being a “functioning alcoholic,” which I don’t believe exists.
The idea behind a functional alcoholic is that they’re generally reliable, productive, and aren’t falling down sloppy when they drink. Swift didn’t coin the phrase, “functional alcoholic,” and it takes courage to come out and say you have a problem. Well, in her case, a kinda-sorta problem. Which is a problem within itself.
Before the Swiftie fans impale me on a pitchfork, hear me out a little. Taylor Swift has achieved tremendous success and her rise to fame is well deserved. I enjoy many of her songs and admire her perseverance and determination as a musical artist. My problem with the lyric is that it conveys misunderstood tropes about alcoholism.
Three years ago, I decided to stop drinking alcohol. A very close friend of mine was baffled. She kept asking if I was sure that I “really” had a problem. I won’t list them here, but yes I did, and yes there were plenty of examples to support my decision to quit using alcohol.
Of course, my therapy clients never noticed because I never drank during my sessions with them. I didn’t drink every day, nor did I wake up slamming a six-pack or…
