| An Uncommon Drunk: Revelations of a | | | | addiction to this substance. Alcoholism doesn't just |
| High-Functioning AlcoholiciUniverse (2006) | | | | affect the abusers life, but also the lives of those |
| ISBN 059537994X | | | | around him. These people include spouses, children, |
| Reviewed by Paige Lovitt for Reader Views (11 | | | | employees, and innocent bystanders. It is really an |
| 06) | | | | insidious problem. |
| The author, Dr. Jeff Herten, writes "An | | | | The information that I gained from reading this |
| Uncommon Drunk" from two main perspectives. | | | | book really opened my eyes about an |
| The first is based upon his own experience as a | | | | intervention that I needed to do with a functioning |
| functioning alcoholic. The second is based upon his | | | | alcoholic that is close to me. If I carry this |
| experience and knowledge as a medical doctor. | | | | knowledge in me, and don't tell this person what I |
| The amount of medical information that he | | | | learned about the health problems that he has |
| provides about the damage that alcohol causes to | | | | coming his way, then I continue to enable him. At |
| our bodies is incredible. I have a Master of Science | | | | 4:30am, after I caught him finishing up a Bloody |
| degree in Rehabilitation Counseling and I learned | | | | Mary, I started talking about how his health |
| more in this book about the physiologically | | | | problems and weight problems are being |
| damaging effects of alcohol than I did during my | | | | contributed to by the incredible amount of alcohol |
| entire program. The alcohol industry does a lot to | | | | that he is consuming. Unfortunately, the response |
| make alcohol appear benign, but really it is a | | | | that I got was a question about what alcohol has |
| dangerous poison for our bodies. | | | | fewer calories. I will keep referring to this book |
| His experience as a functioning alcoholic is scary. | | | | for more information to help me wake him up. He |
| He indicates that there are a lot more functioning | | | | needs to realize that if you are grossly obese and |
| alcoholics operating in our community than we | | | | can see your liver, you have a problem. |
| realize. These people might be medical doctors or | | | | "An Uncommon Drunk" should be read by |
| corporate leaders. They are in positions that put | | | | alcoholics, their families, substance abuse |
| us at risk. He also notes that a functioning alcoholic | | | | counselors, doctors, future parents, and students. |
| can easily switch into a non-functioning alcoholic | | | | I can't imagine anyone that would not benefit |
| role. I personally witnessed this when the | | | | from this book, except cultures that do not drink. |
| President of a community hospital system in | | | | A person in denial would definitely have a harder |
| central California made the transition from being | | | | time staying in denial after reading this story. A |
| an administrator into being a homeless vagrant. | | | | functioning alcoholic is a person that drinks |
| In addition to sharing his own personal experience | | | | frequently, yet still seems to have a good life. It is |
| with alcoholism, Herten also writes about other | | | | easier for functioning alcoholics to be in denial, than |
| peoples experiences. It is really sad how many | | | | non-functioning alcoholics. After they read this |
| lives have been damaged and destroyed from | | | | book, it won't be so easy. |