Non-traditional portrait of an alcoholic

The fall-down drunk may be the most common stereotype of an alcoholic.

Yet they account for less than 10 percent of the estimated 18 million alcoholics in the nation.

So who are these alcoholics? They are residents, business owners and professionals who hold jobs, raise families and have a respected place in society.

Sarah Allen Benton, 32, who was born in Gloucester and raised in New Bedford, knows their plight well. A high-functioning alcoholic in recovery for the past five years, Benton has now authored a book on an area not often raised in public discussion.

Benton began drinking at age 14, and had black-outs from the start. Yet she thrived in school and succeeded on many levels. She attended the University of Colorado, Boulder, where she studied at its journalism school. She moved to Los Angeles where she built a career in television production for The Disney Channel. But she moved back to the East Coast and pursued a master's degree in counseling psychology at Northeastern University in Boston out of which she has entered a new profession, that of helping others understand the broader nature of alcoholism.

Now living in Boston, she works as a therapist at Emmanuel College, in addition to a number of other professional activities related to therapy and alcoholism.

Her book started off as a memoir, when she went back to her teen-age journals, on which she reflected on after she became sober. She later connected with a publisher, and from that the book evolved to integrate the latest research, as well as¬ interviews with addiction experts and sober high-functioning alcoholics.

"I wrote the book because I found, when I got sober, I couldn't peg or imagine myself as an alcoholic because I had done really well in my life. I had a large group of friends and was generally happy. But when I did drink, I couldn't control my intake or behavior," she said in an telephone interview. "I tried to control it and I just couldn't do it, and I found it was hard to get sober as someone who was high-functioning. I wanted to write a book to help people like me, to help people who don't see themselves as alcoholics."

Dr. Edward Khantzian, a clinical professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, endorsed Benton's book.

"Benton brings to awareness that the largest majority of alcoholics are high functioning and, too often, go undetected," he wrote. "This book is both instructional and inspiring. It will help a high-functioning alcoholic face their denial of alcoholism and help family and friends, who witness it, to better appreciate and understand it."

Among other elements, Benton said the book is intended to help high-functioning alcoholics find the faith to step into recovery and in doing so shares her own personal experiences.

Her parents still reside part-time in Gloucester, and her father, Leo Allen, has an art gallery in Rockport.

In her research and interviews for the book, Benton saw the common aspects and patterns among high-functioning alcoholics, as well as their challenges to recovery.

"People are afraid to get sober because of the stigma," she said.

For more information and resources, visit www.highfunctioningalcoholic.com.

Gail McCarthy can be reached at gmccarthy@gloucestertiumes.com

Q&A with Sarah Allen Benton

When most people think of an alcoholic, a polished, capable professional isn't the image that comes to mind.

But in her book, "Understanding the High-Functioning Alcoholic: Professional Views and Personal Insights," Gloucester native Sarah Allen Benton draws on personal experience and her professional expertise as a licensed mental health counselor to show another face of alcoholism. Her book hit shelves on March 1 through Praeger Publisher.

Q: Why did you decide to write the book?

A: I wrote it for others like myself who want to make sense of their alcoholism, because their story does not fit the "skid row" alcoholic image that remains so pervasive in our society. I want to show that being successful and being alcoholic are not mutually exclusive, and that high-functioning alcoholics (HFAs) need help, regardless of their seeming exterior success.

Q: What is a high-functioning alcoholic?

A: An HFA is an alcoholic who is able to maintain his or her outside life, including a job, academics, home, family, and friendships, all while drinking alcoholically. HFAs have the same disease as the stereotypical "skid-row" alcoholic, but it manifests or progresses differently. Many HFAs are not viewed by society as being alcoholic, because they have succeeded and over-achieved throughout their lifetimes. These achievements often lead to an increase in personal denial as well as denial from colleagues and loved ones. HFAs are less apt to feel that they need treatment for their alcoholism, and they often slide through the cracks of the health care system, both medically and psychologically, because they are not diagnosed.

Q: What does your book cover?

A: It comprises research, interviews and my own personal experiences as both an HFA and a licensed mental health counselor. The first part of the book is composed of chapters describing characteristics, behavior patterns and experiences of HFAs throughout high school, college, graduate school and as professionals ... The second part of the book focuses on recovery and the obstacles that HFAs and all alcoholics face in terms of getting treatment as well as treatment options ... Finally, the book explores the actions that sober HFAs find necessary not only to get sober, but also to maintain long-term sobriety and find peace and spirituality within their lives.

Q: Could you speak about your own struggle with alcohol?

A: I began drinking episodically as a freshman at New Bedford High School and experienced blackouts (memory lapses) right from the beginning. I was able to maintain excellent grades, was involved in many extracurricular activities and had a great group of friends. ... During my college years, I was surrounded by a culture of heavy drinking, and I found that I blended right in. After graduating from college with honors and a close network of friends, I moved to Los Angeles and pursued a career in television production. I found that I was still drinking the way I had in college and when I was 23 years old, I decided to try and control my drinking. I did stop drinking for periods of time, but I would always start again, going back to blacking out and behaving in ways that were not in keeping with the person I really am ... After four years of failed attempts to control my drinking, in 2004 I finally was able to admit to myself and my family that I was an alcoholic. It was then that I reached out for help ... I have been sober for over five years and feel grateful for the moments of clarity that led me to reach out for help from a recovery program.

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Gloucester native's book spotlights high-functioning majority

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