Functioning Just Fine (And Other Lies I Told Myself) The Gaslighting of High-functioning Alcoholism - Paperback

by Jacob Schilleci (Author)

Functioning Just Fine (And Other Lies I Told Myself): The Gaslighting of High-Functioning Alcoholism is a raw, unflinching exploration of the quietest addiction. The kind that hides behind good jobs, clean houses, straight A's, and forced smiles. This isn't a rock-bottom redemption story. It's the unsettling, necessary conversation about the millions of us silently drowning while looking "just fine" on the outside.

Blending personal experience, hard science, and sharp social commentary, this book peels back the layers of one of the most misunderstood forms of alcoholism: the high-functioning kind. The version that fools your friends, your family, and most dangerously, yourself. The version that doesn't get DUIs, doesn't lose jobs (at first), and doesn't neatly fit the stereotype of what an alcoholic is "supposed" to look like.

And if you're wondering, yeah, it's written fast. Direct. The way our thoughts used to spin at 3 AM after one drink turned into ten, after promises to quit turned into "maybe just tonight." This isn't a clinical lecture or a slow-burn memoir. It's an ex-drunk talking straight to soon-to-be ex-drunks, or at least to the ones starting to suspect the house of cards is wobbling.

Inside, you'll discover:

✔ The psychology behind why high-functioning alcoholics rarely recognize the problem
✔ How society, success, and even loved ones unknowingly enable silent addiction
✔ The gaslighting we do to ourselves, the excuses, justifications, and minimizations that keep the cycle alive
✔ Scientific insights into how alcohol rewires the brain, hides in plain sight, and sabotages mental health
✔ A deeply honest reflection from someone who lived it, hid it, and clawed their way through the fog

If you've ever wondered how someone can maintain careers, relationships, and appearances while quietly unraveling inside this book offers answers, uncomfortable truths, and a path toward clarity. Whether you're questioning your own relationship with alcohol, love someone who may be struggling, or simply want to understand the hidden epidemic of high-functioning addiction, Functioning Just Fine is your brutally honest companion in that search.

This isn't a guidebook. It's a reckoning.
Quick. Blunt. No sugar-coating. Because addiction never sugar-coated anything for us.

For anyone ready to shatter the illusion that "fine" means healthy, and face the uncomfortable questions hiding beneath the surface, this book meets you in the fog and helps you start finding your way out.