Customer Reviews

An Uncommon Drunk: Revelations of a High-Functioning Alcoholic

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I have struggled with the question of whether I have had a drinking problem for the past several years, and if so, to what extent. After all, I don't wake up in the morning and reach for a hair of the dog that bit me. I've never missed work, never been stopped for drinking and driving (although that was sheer luck at times), and never beat up on my wife or kids in a drunken rage. The problem is, we have all been fed this extreme portrait of what makes an alcoholic, and it makes it all to easy for many of us to deny that we have a problem. Deep down inside, though, we know that we are addicted to our daily dose of liquor - no matter how small, or whether it comes in the seemingly inoccuous form of beer, wine, or the hard stuff. Then again, there are so many reports that come out every so often, touting the benefits of having just the right amount of booze on a daily basis. Here's the real skinny: THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A HEALTHY AMOUNT OF BOOZE ON A DAILY BASIS!!!

The truth is, there are many of us who aren't necessarily born to be hard wired drunks, but we fall into a daily drinking habit through learned social patterns. It sneaks up on us, and our inner voices deceive us when we try to stop. This book is refreshing, because it talks to those of us in this boat, and I was certainly one of them. For fourteen years, I hardly ever went a day without drinking several glasses of wine, at a bare minimum. I woke up nearly every day hung over to at least a certain extent, but found myself reaching for a drink again the minute I got home from work. I've successfully held a job all these years, but very little otherwise got accomplished in my life.

The bare honest truth is, alcohol diminishes the human spirit. There are some of us who can function better while drunk or intoxicated than others, but we all eventually succumb to its effects - and usually recognize it only when it's too late.

By exposing this truth and helping me to see the symptoms of my own addiction, this book has convinced me to get sober. It's been nearly 3 months since I've had a drink. I wake up feeling the best I have in years, and I'm a hundred percent sharper and more productive at work. I'm more engaged with my kids, and I stay up late at night getting things done at home that I never would have imagined doing before. Like the author, I haven't yet attended an AA meeting. I'm not sure that AA is for everyone, although I can relate to those who feel that they need to go there for support and guidance. For me, reading this book was enough. I guess I'm an "uncommon drunk" myself.

I can't recommend this book highly enough. I also recommend Pete Hamils' "A Drinking Life."

I'm middle-aged and have rationalized my drinking since I was a teenager. I believed all the wrong information about drinking that people and the culture provided me. It was nice to finally see the truth of what has been a big, pernicious part of my life.

Dr. Herten pulls no punches and had the courage to label himself an alcoholic and move beyond drinking while everyone around him thought otherwise. He identifies links between drinking and maladies that I have wrestled with my whole adult life.

I recommend this book highly to moderate-to-heavy drinkers who don't think they have a problem. My drinking days are over.

Herten's truly edifying and useful tome has the outward appearance of Chuck Chamberlain's =A New Pair of Glasses= and AA's own =Living Sober=. The book looks like the umpteenth reprenting of something forty or fifty years old. But judging =this= book by its cover would indeed be unfortunate.

Herten's written a fine self-revelation that's also a stiff dose of millennial-era physiological reality as well as an illuminating polemic against Big Booze. Some of the chapters read like Sherwin Nuland's =How We Die= and Bruce Perry's =The Boy Who Was Raised as a Dog=, which is to say "luridly." But, as is the case with those two books, the author is a renowned expert on his topic, and the factual base here is rock solid.

The stimulation-seeker will =not= be disappointed. =AUD= is a series of discrete essays about Herten's personal encounters with the tragic consequences of substance abuse. As with =HWD= and =TBWWRAAD=, =AUD='s organization and right-here-on-the-front-lines style make it an easy, as well as engrossing, read for alkies in denial, contemplation, acceptance, commitment and relapse prevention, as well as family members and others in any of those five stages of recovery.

There's plenty of meat here for the alanon, the codependent, the adult child of the alcoholic, the concerned coworker, the spiritual advisor, the sponsor, the social worker, the substance abuse counselor, the addictions therapist and the addiction medicine physician. (I'm in there in several places.)

Herten's reframing of wine-tasting and the sophisticated marketing of alcoholic beverages to unsuspecting yuppies, codependents and other approval-seeking "herd animals" is worth the price of admission all by itself. (The "AdBusters" crowd will love this thing.)

Don't expect a rundown of =various= treatment methods, however. The author comes from "disease model" and 12 Step recovery, which is fine, because for many, the disease model and 12 Step recovery works well. That said, those who come from psychodynamic, behavioralistic, cognitive and/or neuropsychological models and treatment schemes will still benefit from the material here.

RG, Psy.D.

This is probably the best book I have ever read about the effects of alcohol on the body. This book has scared me into not toching alcohol ever again. I thank God for this author.

Reviewed by Paige Lovitt for Reader Views (11/06)


The author, Dr. Jeff Herten, writes "An Uncommon Drunk" from two main perspectives. The first is based upon his own experience as a functioning alcoholic. The second is based upon his experience and knowledge as a medical doctor. The amount of medical information that he provides about the damage that alcohol causes to our bodies is incredible. I have a Master of Science degree in Rehabilitation Counseling and I learned more in this book about the physiologically damaging effects of alcohol than I did during my entire program. The alcohol industry does a lot to make alcohol appear benign, but really it is a dangerous poison for our bodies.

His experience as a functioning alcoholic is scary. He indicates that there are a lot more functioning alcoholics operating in our community than we realize. These people might be medical doctors or corporate leaders. They are in positions that put us at risk. He also notes that a functioning alcoholic can easily switch into a non-functioning alcoholic role. I personally witnessed this when the President of a community hospital system in central California made the transition from being an administrator into being a homeless vagrant.

In addition to sharing his own personal experience with alcoholism, Herten also writes about other peoples experiences. It is really sad how many lives have been damaged and destroyed from addiction to this substance. Alcoholism doesn't just affect the abusers life, but also the lives of those around him. These people include spouses, children, employees, and innocent bystanders. It is really an insidious problem.

The information that I gained from reading this book really opened my eyes about an intervention that I needed to do with a functioning alcoholic that is close to me. If I carry this knowledge in me, and don't tell this person what I learned about the health problems that he has coming his way, then I continue to enable him. At 4:30am, after I caught him finishing up a Bloody Mary, I started talking about how his health problems and weight problems are being contributed to by the incredible amount of alcohol that he is consuming. Unfortunately, the response that I got was a question about what alcohol has fewer calories. I will keep referring to this book for more information to help me wake him up. He needs to realize that if you are grossly obese and can see your liver, you have a problem.

"An Uncommon Drunk" should be read by alcoholics, their families, substance abuse counselors, doctors, future parents, and students. I can't imagine anyone that would not benefit from this book, except cultures that do not drink. A person in denial would definitely have a harder time staying in denial after reading this story. A functioning alcoholic is a person that drinks frequently, yet still seems to have a good life. It is easier for functioning alcoholics to be in denial, than non-functioning alcoholics. After they read this book, it won't be so easy.

Received book free of charge

I thought this book had a lot of good information on the health consequences of drinking alcohol. However, I would hardly call the Doctor an alcoholic - 2-4 beers a day, 6 days a week?? I would consider this a habit, not so different than eating dessert 6 times a week. Anyone who can eliminate withdrawal symptoms by eating a few carrots or drinking a glass of milk, is most certainly not addicted to alcohol.

I'm glad I read the book. The stories were interesting and I learned a lot, but I resent the fact that he makes it seem like quitting was so easy, anyone can do it - just eat your carrots and say a few prayers and God will send the withdrawal and craving away.

The profound honesty and humility Dr. Herten expressed in his book, An Uncommon Drunk, has a power all of its own. Just to read it is an uplifting experience, for it takes great courage to reveal such information on a personal level. Each individual body has its own way of processing the physiological effects of any substance and what Dr. Herten knew was that he was not at his best when using alcohol. He did not achieve at the educational and professional level without effort. An Uncommon Drunk is one more example of Dr. Herten's desire to do his best. Bravo!

Wow! This brings up a lot interesting views and opinions on today's society and our social acceptance of alcoholism. I think it is a great read for all ages, especially young folks.