This is really something I should know.

If anyone is reading this, anyone at all who has the attention span to sit through my mindless, boring drivel and can actually stand it, I have a question:

What is the difference between a person with a problem and a functioning person with a problem. By which I mean, I've heard of alcoholics and I've heard of functioning alcoholics. Bulimics and functioning bulimics. So my question is, what is the difference.

It seems to me that being a functioning bulimic is worse than being a "regular" bulimic, just by the emphasis often used. Same with alcoholism. Does anybody know?