I was just wondering if anyone knows of a study or just in general has experience with a highly intelligent alcoholic. I've found that ao many alcoholics and addicts I know are highly intelligent, and highly aware of thier own pain and therefore find drinking and drugging as an easy solution to not feeling their pain.

Which also sort of makes me think that this is another reason that I'm drawn to alcoholics. I'm generally drawn to high intelligent people and maybe it just kind of goes with the territory.

Emafer I don't know of any study,

My ex –husband is very intelligent, by nature -was born that way.He read something once and he got it, all excellent grades in school. He is very good at his job. IMO this disease has robbed him of so much potential.I think to place the blame on anything at all is an escape –again only my two cents…
Wishes-

Hi Emefer!  I can tell you that the major A in my life was a renowned mathematician who published books and did important research and was a full professor at a state university.  I can't imagine any more intelligence than that, unless it's Einstein himself!  But we still went around and around on the Merry-go-Round of denial in your textbook case of his drinking and my codependency!  So intelligence didn't save us--not that kind anyway!  Only the recovery program made any difference, once I got into it.  He's been dead for a few years now.  He died as a fully paid-up member of the active drinkers association.  It's sad.  But they always say--there but for the grace of God go I--and there I nearly went!  I have a lot to be thankful for!

Yes, it would be interesting to see statistics on this.  I've always heard that alcoholism can strike anyone, anywhere, regardless of gender, race, income, intelligence, etc. etc. and I've certainly met a variety of A's over the years that seems to suggest that.  Maybe the intelligence kicks in when you start "getting" the recovery program!

~Seachange

I agree.  My husband is the addict in my life and he is highly intelligent.  It amazes me sometimes all the knowledge he has.  He owns and operates his own tree business.  He is considered one of the best climbers around here.  He'll take on jobs that others won't touch because of the danger involved.  I remember a few years back he was thinking about going back into the medical field.  He had been an EMT in the military.  He worked online creating a resume and gave it to me to read.  I was floored by all the medical knowledge he had.  At the time I was completely unaware of it. I commented that he couldn't bullsh*t his way into a medical position.  I said you can't pretend you know how to do these things.  He was like Kathy I'm not pretending and he went on and on explaining different procedures and what not to me.  I was very impressed.

It's ironic in a sense that they do have all this knowledge and intelligence yet find it so hard to follow the suggestions necessary to recover from their addictions.

In all honesty, and from everything I have ever read....

There is no correllation whatsoever, tieing alcoholism to any level particular intelligence.... I think most studies have shown that the range or mix of alcoholics, is very representative of the range or mix of people in generally.... They come from all walks of life, from the most intelligent to the illiterate, and everywhere in between.

Tom

Your responses are interesting.

It'sj ust alwasy been curious to me. I mean my father is legitemately a genius and had no self awareness until he was almost 50. My grandfather spoke 4 different languages fluently and had several degrees including his JD except he never practiced law beucase he was always drinking. My current A can run circles around me which is not easy and again has the utter inability to admit that he might have done something wrong.

Now I DID read a study that alcoholics of lower intelligence are more prone to violence. Which was interesting because my grandfather was really good at that too.

i think that its the old adage 'too smart for your own good' seems that its with the smarts we have that makes us believe we can control things and beat the system and how we feel 'i' am different. just something to think about i mean how smart are we when we complicate things and the simplest things are eluding to us. smart maybe brilliant i dont think so you all have a good one,

Tom speaks the truth ~ anyone can be an alcoholic.

I also believe, however that ppl can drink & drug for yrs & not be A's themselves.  It is something most of us, simply just out grow.

I do from from personal ESH that extremely gifted & talented ppl are "tortured souls" ~ being super intelligent only makes you more aware of what misery there is. 

I am ACOA, have an IQ of 135 & am highly sensitive, w/ psychic abilities that I have tried to stop fighting over the yrs.  I tried to kill myself when I was 15 & since then have talked w/ God thru this existencial crisis I have been on.  Facing yourself & being willing to champion the truth, has only made me "a burden" to my family.  When you are honest & express your feelings, it makes others have to face their's too & boy do they hate that... when they try their damndest to hide.  My mother's is about IQ 150, 2 doctorites ~ but get her to talk about her feelings or even admit she has them (1/2 of the time) ha!  No chance. 

No amount of intelligence can 'make' someone want or be able to change.  That willingness takes the greatest courage & strength known to man.  aahhh...  good ole acceptance. 

So I detach lovingly & continue to work on me, I thank God I can control myself & I can & am continually changing.  

Are highly sensitive & creative ppl addicts 'cause they abuse substances?  I define addiction as a way of dis-associating from one's feelings.  Fortunately or unfortunately, I don't have this disease but it does have me, everyone in my family is sick in one form or another.  I sometimes would pray 'why can't I be an addict too?'  ~ it seems so easy for them to just forget, not care & walk on everybody all the while lying through their pretty teeth.  Very straightforward.

I think it is us that love the A's that are even more sick than they are, IMHO.

thanks for the thought, love -K

What an interesting post.

I also, do not know of any study. But my experience (with my A), is that he is a very intelligent person, who can turn his hand to anything and succeed. The disease has shredded his potential.

He is aware of his problems and issues, but is emotionally unable to address them as yet. His doctor once said to me that he uses alcohol to kill pain as we would use panadol for a headache.

Years ago many of my arguments (or pleading) with him about his drinking began with "You are such a smart man, how can you let this happen........"

That was before Al-anon though!

Feather

-- Edited by Feather at 19:07, 2006-01-17

I also think that highly intelligent people oftentime tend to rely too much on thier intelligence and not enough on thier emotions. I know this is true for me and I fight it.

Interestingly enough my mother has always felt intellectually inferior to my father and myself. However, she has more damned "common sense" than anyone I've ever met. Part of this is that by nature she's solution oriented. She doesn't suffer from making a task more difficult for herself or from the idea that if it didn't take very much time or effort that it isn't "right". She's so practial that it honestly amazes me. She's my constant touchstone and looks at things is such a simple way that I could never come up with on my own. I alway tell her that she's the smartest of us all.

 

I'm having a hard time answering this post w/o feeling like I'm taking my A's inventory. My A is not book smart by any stretch. She didn't finish HS because of her home situation. So often we have conversations and she gets angry for me using words that are honestly part of my every day vocabulary. The common sense one doesn't seem to fit either. It may be no more her fault than her alcoholism. Being bounced from home to home as a child until landing in what appears to be a stable home, yet only has a father behind the scenese sexually abusing you. What opportunities are there to learn. There was not time for the mind to even rest long enough to absorb anything but survival skills, as dysfunctional as those skill might be (much like my own). She wasn't even some place long enough to know and understand those cliche sayings that are used all the time. She used to say Kill two stones with one bird for example. I can share that one because even she laughs about it now. I'm not sure it has anything to do with intelligence. Trying ot bring the focus back on ourselves, I think how we perceive the intelligence of the A may have to do w/ how we react. If we perceive our A as less intelligent than us, we may be in fix it mode much longer. I mean, c'mon, we obviously know more than our A. We may berate, talk down to our A, and contribute to the A's low self esteem. If we perceive our A as highly intelligent, possibly even more so than ourselves, we may be in deeper denial, as this person is far too smart to become addicted to something. We may enable them and protect them longer, again because they 'can't' have this problem. Well, I'm all over the map on this one, but at least it made me think. LOL Bob

Emafer, That is absolutely my A! Even his councelors in rehab have told him that he is too intelligent and that hinders his recovery. He is scientific by nature, he has a medical background, etc. While he is 8 months sober now, try getting him to conceling for his other issues was really hard. I am 150% conovinced that his recovery has been dampened by his intelligence. I too am attracted to intelligent men, and this is the first A I have had in a relationship. Mind you, I've loved this man since college where we met. It'd be an interesting study to do either in the sociologicial, psychological or anthropological field. I'm surprised no one has picked up on it. You might look in some medical anthropology literature to see if there is any. Try the American Anthropological Association and look under medical anthropology. I'll take a look there too and see if I can't find something for you. Let me know if you find anything. I'd be really interested in looking at it. Live strong, Karilynn

Karilynn, me too!  Emafer, what a great thread!

Hi All,

Just wanted to share that many of the alcoholics I know are highly intelligent folks.  Unfortunately, addiction...is addiction.  Alot of the alcoholic folks I know had a hard time working a program.  They were always trying to "figure it out".  That's much easier than actually dealing with emotions.

Guess that's why they say in AA, "You can't think your way to recovery". 

Many times alcoholics drink to numb themselves....so they don't have to "feel" anything.  Recovery is all about feeling the feelings.....it's a program of rigorous honesty.  ((hugs))

One Day at a Time,

Northstar

My A is extremely intelligent.  It amazes me sometimes at how he just wastes it.