The High-Functioning Alcoholic

Understanding this Hidden Class of Alcoholics from a Professional and Personal View

by Sarah Allen Benton, M.S., L.M.H.C.

How to Cope with Family Holiday Events... Without Alcohol!

The holidays are quickly approaching, and this may be both a blessing and curse in terms of family dynamics. While it may be possible to avoid uncomfortable family interactions throughout the year, holiday celebrations bring family members together. For those in recovery from alcoholism/addictions, this may also be a challenging time emotionally and in terms of staying sober. Read More

Staying Sober is Possible- in College!

It is almost time for college students around the country to return for the Fall 2011 semester. I have recently heard many women speaking about their experience of getting sober when they were in college. Some women were now in their 40's and reflecting back in time and others in their early 20's currently attempting to return to school adopting a new sober lifestyle. At Read More

What Type of Addiction Services Do I Need?

There is an overwhelming amount of information on the internet about addiction treatment. Many people email me and have no idea where to begin or what type of care that they or their loved one may need. There is common terminology that is important for those seeking treatment and their loved ones to understand when reaching out for help. Read More

The Challenges of Dealing with an Alcoholic Loved One

Everyone knows of a family that has struggled to cope with a loved one who is alcoholic. Friends and observers may try to understand the experience of the family and may watch, sometimes with judgment, as family members try to navigate this stressful situation. Read More

Recommitting is the Key to Long-Term Recovery from Alcoholism

Recovery is an ongoing process and those fortunate to have long-term recovery have one thing in common- an ability to recommit themselves. It has been observed that people often get sober and as a result expect that life should go their way-a reward, in a sense, for their "good" behavior. However, that is not generally what happens. Read More

How to Have Happy SOBER Holidays!

Ahhhhhh.....the holidays—they are approaching like a speeding train. This is a season that can be bittersweet—for the great expectations that so many people have can often lead to disappointment. Seeing family and friends can be a blessing, but at the same time lead to additional seasonal stress. Answering the same questions over and over again can trigger intense emotions. Read More

If Eminem is Proud to Be Sober… Then Anyone Can Be!

I was speechless while watching the MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs) as Eminem performed the song "Not Afraid" from his newest album "Recovery"- in fact I felt tears brewing. Through the years Eminem has been a controversial hip-hop rapper who seemed to thrive on offending and instigating public and political figures by speaking his mind without concern for other's opinions. Read More

Balance: The Key to Successful Recovery from Alcoholism

Finding "balance"...a term that sends shivers down the spine of an alcoholic- active or sober. Many alcoholics have extreme personalities that often lack moderation. Therefore, when they get sober it can be a challenge to change their lifestyle to one that is conducive with recovery. Read More

Summertime parties and the beach! A Quick Guide to Coping with Alcohol Cravings

Many times, alcoholics/problem drinkers who are trying to get sober are told if they have a craving to drink that they should simply call someone who is sober or go to a mutual-help meeting. Read More

Being “Sober” Versus Being in “Recovery”

There is an important distinction between being "sober" and being in "recovery". The differences are clear to those who have experienced both phases in their healing process from alcoholism. Read More

April is Alcohol Awareness Month: Great Time to be Mindful of Drinking Habits!

Mindfulness can involve simply taking a few moments to check in with yourself about your drinking habits. You or a loved one may want to consider answering the following questions in order to be honest about the role alcohol plays in your lives. Read More

The Great Wine Myth

"We JUST had a few glasses of wine at this nice restaurant."
"I know that I shouldn't be drinking again, but it is JUST wine with friends"
"I need to drink wine daily, doctors say that it is good for your heart."
"It goes down so easily, I didn't notice how many glasses of wine they poured me at the party." Read More

Awareness of Risk Factors Can Help Decrease Risks of Developing Alcoholism

When individuals have a family history of diabetes or cancer, they often take precautions in order to prevent developing these conditions or at least feel comfortable admitting that they need to stay aware. In contrast, it seems that those with a family history of alcoholism do not always display the same caution. Read More

Failed New Year’s Resolutions to Cut Back on Drinking: Time to "Think about Your Drinking"

Was your New Year's resolution to cut back or to stop drinking? Have you been able to stick to it or are your struggling? If you have succeeded, how are you feeling? Read More

The Holidays: Challenges and Survival Guide for Sober Alcoholics

The holidays can be a triggering and challenging time for sober alcoholics, particularly for those in early sobriety. But why? There are a variety of reasons and this time of year can prove to be emotionally charged even for non-alcoholics. Read More

Mothers Can be High-Functioning Alcoholics Too!

It is as though the image of the “mother” and that of the “alcoholic” seem contradictory. However, alcoholism does not discriminate and there are mothers who are able to fulfill their roles as mothers (in the literal sense), and even as professionals—therefore being high functioning. Those around them may not believe that these individuals could be alcoholic, because their outside life may appear “perfect”. Read More

Whitney Houston’s Interview on "Oprah" Revealed Common Misconceptions About What it Means to Be Sober

The Oprah Winfrey Show aired a 2-part interview with Whitney Houston on Monday, September 14th and Tuesday, September 15th. This revealing interview covered topics that the public has been waiting to hear about-from her relationship with Bobby Brown, to her daughter, to her career hiatus, to drugs. Read More

Some Reflections by Sober Alcoholics on Recovery...

Recovery Month is observed annually during the month of September. This month is dedicated to increasing awareness about the benefits of substance abuse treatment, and passes on the message that recovery from substance abuse including alcoholism is possible. Recovery month is meant to encourage people to take action in the expanding effective treatment for those in need. Read More

The Various Ways High-Functioning Alcoholics Hit Bottom

Each alcoholic has a unique bottom, and some alcoholics report having several bottoms along the way that they have ignored. Generally, high-functioning alcoholics (HFAs) experience bottoms that are emotional and internal—including feelings of shame, remorse, loneliness and/or hopelessness. Read More

The Most Tragic A&E “Intervention” Show Ironically Features a High-Functioning Alcoholic

I have often said that a movie or a TV show featuring a high-functioning alcoholic (HFA) would not be viewed as “dramatic” enough by today’s entertainment standards. An exception to this norm was the July 13th airing of the A&E show “Intervention” featuring Bret, an HFA, proved to be one of the most emotional and tragic episodes. Read More

Summertime: Wedding Season, Vacations- Meaningful Times or Excuse to Drink?

"It's the summer, why not have a good time and get drunk?"

"I'm on vacation, who cares how much I drink?"

"It's a wedding, let's celebrate, where's the alcohol?" Read More

Why some phase out of college binge drinking and others are alcoholic

There are 11 million underage drinkers and over 7 million binge drinkers nationally. Unfortunately, there is no clear way to determine which college students will phase out of binge drinking and which will continue. However, there are a number of risk factors that increase the chance of an individual being alcoholic. Read More

Ways to Approach the High-Functioning Alcoholic in Your Life

Recently, I have received numerous emails and blog comments from the loved ones of high-functioning alcoholics (HFAs) who are unsure how to deal with the HFA in their life. Loved ones of HFAs are often confused about how to approach these individuals because there is often a lack of tangible losses to point to, but instead emotional consequences. Read More

Social Drinkers, Problem Drinkers and High-Functioning Alcoholics

When the term "high-functioning alcoholic" is mentioned, various types of drinkers often begin to question their own drinking and worry if they fall into this category. Part of this confusion is that many individuals are unclear about the differences in charactersitics of social drinkers, problem drinkers and alcoholics. Read More

Assessing your drinking habits online

According to the National Epidemiological Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions, only 25% of alcoholics ever receive treatment. High-functioning alcoholics (HFAs) and potential HFAs are the type of drinkers that need to take alcohol screening tests but are not always the ones that do. Read More

Understanding the High-Functioning Alcoholic

Through my new book and this blog, I intend to increase awareness and to facilitate dialogue about high-functioning alcoholics and the challenges that they face. It is crucial that the stereotype of the "typical" alcoholic changes so that those alcoholics who are successful professionally and personally can break through their denial and get help. Read More

High-Functioning Alcoholics are Everywhere…But are Not Getting Sober

Each time that I mention the term "high-functioning alcoholic"(HFA) people often respond that they have a relative, colleague or friend who is an HFA. Usually the HFA they know has not received help and is still actively drinking. The crux of the problem is that they are still functioning. Ironically, their success is a curse that leads their alcoholism to go untreated. Read More

Being High-Functioning: Feeding the Alcoholic Denial

Denial- it is powerful, dangerous, and one of the psychological symptoms of being alcoholic. For those who have not experienced true denial, they may think that it is simply "denying" that a problem exists. However, denial runs much deeper than that in the psyche of an alcoholic. It is the true belief that he or she is not alcoholic when all evidence points to otherwise. Read More

Anonymity and the Stigma of Being Alcoholic

Many alcoholics, including those who are sober, keep their alcoholism a secret from loved ones, acquaintances and colleagues. The foundation of most 12-step programs is anonymity and this allows newcomers to feel safe to join and existing group members to continue attending knowing their identity will be protected. Anonymity saves lives.

What is the problem with being a high-functioning alcoholic? This is a question that has been posed several times to me and has probably crossed the minds of others. Although the term "high-functioning" has a positive connotation, the reality is that the diagnosis of "alcoholic" is also present. Read More

Sarah Allen Benton, M.S., L.M.H.C., is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and author of Understanding the High-Functioning Alcoholic: Professional Views and Personal Insights.

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About The High-Functioning Alcoholic

The intention of "The High-Functioning Alcoholic" blog is to increase awareness about this hidden class of alcoholics and to provide information and resources to readers. My hope is that this blog encourages people to feel comfrotable to talk about their own struggles with alcohol and/or issues of a loved one. May this forum lead to a decrease in the stigma and a contribution towards shifting the image of the alcoholic so that those who are high-functioning recognize their problem and do not feel alone in reaching out for help.