How long it takes to reverse functional alcohol tolerance that people don't realise they have

Warning: This article contains discussion of alcoholism which some readers may find distressing.

With the bank holiday coming up and the weather finally seeming to match the time of year, it’s looking like beer garden season.

Sunny evenings and weekends at the pub with mates are upon us and with that, casual drinking will likely increase for many.

But while you might think your ‘harmless’ pints every day of the bank holiday weekend aren’t anything to worry about, it could be that you’re actually dependent on alcohol. Perhaps you’ve built this up without realising and have developed a functional alcohol tolerance.

It might be that you've built a tolerance. (Getty Stock Image)

What is a functional alcohol tolerance?

This is where you are able to carry on with day-to-day activities in everyday life while also drinking. The tolerance builds with consistent consumption over time and leaves a person in need of more booze to feel the effects they once did with less.

From a scientific angle, it is when your central nervous system becomes used to a continuous presence of ethanol. The brain functions adapt, and so does behaviour, to the effects of ethanol.

Developing a functional tolerance can be very risky as it can lead to organ damage, painful cravings, physical dependence, and potential overdose death from toxicity.

What do the experts say?

Experts at AddictionResource.net note that ‘functional tolerance is particularly common with alcohol consumption’.

They explain: “The term 'functioning alcoholic' has become commonplace to describe a person who is able to function normally while using alcohol without its impairing effects.”

You may need to go teetotal. (Getty Stock Image)

How to reverse a functional alcohol tolerance

The good news is, it can be reversed. Obviously, the higher your tolerance then the longer time it takes to reverse it.

The key thing to bringing your tolerance down is going teetotal for a period of time.

AddictionResource.net experts say it is possible to reverse even a 'high' alcohol tolerance in as little as one month.

And the most obvious way to lower your tolerance is to cut the booze out altogether.

It's a big risk, though, to reverse your alcohol tolerance and then return to your previous ways.

Doing so risks even having a fatal overdose as your body cannot handle what it used to handle. While another possibility is increasing your alcohol dependence.

If it gets worse, there is also the option of finding a rehab facility for alcohol addiction.

Please drink responsibly. If you want to discuss any issues relating to alcohol in confidence, contact Drinkline on 0300 123 1110, 9am–8pm weekdays and 11am–4pm weekends for advice and support.

Topics: Alcohol, Health, Lifestyle, Mental Health, Food And Drink

Jess Battison

Jess is an Entertainment Journalist with a love of all things pop culture. Her main interests include keeping up with the Twitter girlies, waiting for a new series of The Traitors and losing her voice at a Beyoncé concert. She graduated with a first in Journalism from City, University of London in 2021 and has previously worked at MyLondon.

@jessbattison_