The High-Functioning Alcoholic

You can live on Park Avenue or a park bench and be addicted to alcohol. Of the eighteen million alcoholics in this country, one in five function so highly that no one would confuse them with a falling-down drunk. They show up at work, take care of their families, and get promotions - looking good on the outside while concealing their battle with booze.

Sarah Allen Benton knows. She’s a mental health counselor at Emmanuel College in Boston. Prior to becoming sober, she got a master's degree and held down several professional jobs, all while struggling with a drinking problem. She joins us to discuss her new book Understanding the High-Functioning Alcoholic.

And for many heavy drinkers, the road to alcoholism begins in college. Binge drinking can be a tough habit to break, but Augsburg College in Minneapolis has one of the country's few on-campus drug and alcohol recovery programs. It's called Step Up. The students don't just stay away from drugs — they have to get good grades, attend 12-step meetings, and keep their residence hall clean. Independent producer Hillary Frank brings us the story of one of Step Up's students, who uses only his first name, Sam. You can hear this story at the Public Radio Exchange.

(Photo by Joseph Nicolia via Flickr/Creative Commons)