Those that consider themselves "rather intelligent" very often suffer from pride run rampant. I was one of them and so many more came before and after me. Intelligence has absolutely NOTHING to do with alcoholism and neither does our job. Yes, I say job and not career or profession or any other "make me feel better than others word". I am not what I do for a living. In fact focusing on my intelligence and most excellent JOB kept me sicker longer. By putting down the drink I have right sized myself among CEO's, doctors, judges, factory workers, teachers, cleaners, cashiers, other SERVICE workers, the mentally and physically ill who will never be employable, murderers, thieves, cheats and above all liars who believe themselves to be things they really are not. We all progress spiritually at different rates and find we no longer need to compare ourselves to others for their looks, who they married/live with nor especially what they do for money. I've been friends with all of the above and my experience was those who thought themselves "above" intellectually had the hardest time, more relapses and became more anxious or depressed because they wasted so much time believing they could analyize their way out what they knew to be true: they couldn't guarantee the outcome once they picked up the drink. I was one of those people and my heart goes out to those people especially. After all, how could someone who has never lost a day of work to alcohol, graduated with honors and has never once NOT met her financial obligations have such a nasty disease such as alcoholism? Believe me the disease is cunning, baffling, powerful, patience and preys upon those who think they are untouchable. Best wishes and many blessings.

Cool,

I always thought myself a rather intelligent person. I have learned that it was also keeping me drunk. Nobody could tell me anything because I knew it all.

I am from the line of Noah.

I order to remain sober, I had (and have) to get over myself! It's very easy for me to note the differences between myself and other alcoholics. This is part of my disease.
In meetings, I came to understand and seek out our similarities.
I spent many years in the closet as well. My kids were surprised when I returned to AA. They didn't realize I'd been drinking.
You are not alone out here!
Alcoholism is an inherited disease like diabetes. Most alcoholics are above average intelligence. I suggest you look at the medical research.
We are all a few steps away from the gutter, jail, or death.
Keep searching and have an open mind.

Ellen
(Biochemist)

I'm an opera singer.

This is kind of a pointless discussion.
It's like saying if you have a phd you won't get lung cancer from smoking.
Well, you can believe me when I say I am chief inspector Jacques Clouseau of the Sret.
Or that I have an IQ of 133
Or that I play left tackle for the San Diego Chargers
Or that I have a masters degree, a real one from a prestigious university you never heard of.
Or that I have a ferrari
Or as post I am finishing my doctoral dissertation
Or that I've made the 10 o'clock news, and the front pages of distinguished papers
Or that I am samurai
Or that I have two houses, one in the city and another in the country, both staffed.
Or that I have flown to the moon.
Or that my wife is a former top-model.
Or that I have published articles.
Or that I am the Flash
Or that I have won the boston marathon
Or that I am fluent in two languages, and well versed in another two ... or three...
Or that I am Scottish
Or that I am Texan
Or that criminals have shot at my car
Or that I am listening to Led-Zeppelin right now.
Or none of the above.

Pick and choose your favorite options, whichever the truth nothing changes the fact that I am an abusive drinker and have cirrhosis, and really am...

Denny Crane!

God, no doubt we all do different jobs,. I am a legal advisor (solicitor freelance) but so what? I am human, I am addicted to alcohol. I do not think whatever job you do is less than some person being a housewife or anything welse to that matter.

What we share in common is we cannot drink.

Take care of yourselves and each other.

Ruth x

This was a major issue for me at first, and for a while I thought I was "terminally unique" so I kept on working a designer AA program and kept getting drunk and bad things were happening and eventually realized I'm an alcoholic like everyone else. Alcoholism/addiction knows no bounds, there are the drunks on skid row and then there's NFL players, CEOs and famous actors/musicians who I met at the Betty Ford Center and there's no amount of money that can cure this disease, surrendering and going to AA is the only thing that works for me. One thing I have found is that there's a meeting for everyone, and I have a tight group of people in AA who I am close friends with and, being 26, I look up to them both in their personal lives and their careers as well because they are very successful in business, extremely educated, some doctors, bankers, etc...bottom line is to find people who have something you want and who you look up to and listen to them, that is what worked for me and now being an alcoholic is an asset to my life and the shame is gone.

Many years ago, I picked out a college based on "I'll show them all" and "Once this and that and the other thing happens, then I'll be happy." A few years later, since that hadn't worked, I added "I'll be financially set for life" to the motivations and went to business school.

Like any good alcoholic (pre-beginner though I was), I really expected a credential from an impressive, prestigious, superior, self-satisfied, rich, powerful school would magically transform me into a person with all those same desirable qualities.

The education was fine, I imagine about the same as any other college or business school. The problems are the gilt-edged, high-profile diplomas.

There was no magical transformation, needless to say, but a whole value system and self-identity seemed to come wrapped in the diplomas, like dead fish in yesterday's newspaper. Most of my life, I struggled to knuckle under to the demands of the values and images, even while I've simultaneously rebelled.

The images, values, and assumptions are very powerful, reinforced by powerful institutions, and part of me is always sure something is wrong with me if I don't measure up to my diplomas. It's easy for some people around me to be drawn, unconsciously, into the assumptions and images, and have trouble seeing these credentials as symptoms rather than easy solutions.

"You can just walk into a 100K job any time you want. Take a high-pressure, rat-race job and you'll succeed at it without breaking a sweat. You're smart. You're talented. You're experienced.

Obviously, since you went to business school, your career is your top priority, you crave working 80 hours a week, you're confident, strong, a leader, you're inspired by corporate mission statements and you believe in the strategic-plan-of-the-month.

You have everything going for you!

Accomplish! Achieve! Earn!

All you need are self-confidence, self-assurance, self-reliance, independence..."

I haven't shown anyone anything, my education and my job have never given me happiness or satisfaction, and I have no financial security. In AA they always say "insanity is doing the same thing over and over, expecting different results." So why on earth would I want to "pull it together," embrace this persona of a corporate drone, and make myself miserable??

These diplomas and credentials I have "going for me" are nothing more than another symptom and expression of my disease.

More recently, as a resident in a sober living residence, I learned that when I find out about a man's age, drug of choice, criminal record, ethnicity, material well-being, job, tattoos, haircut, clothing, experience in recovery, or length of sobriety/clean time, I have found out nothing of importance about him, nothing relevant to anything. I know nothing about a man until I see how he treats his fellows -- then I know everything about him that I need to know.

Brilliant post soberdaddy!