Tic127

I don't know about yourselves? But I have found most alcoholics I have met to be fairly intelligent people? Just wondering if our AV is a part of the brain that is maybe over active for some reason? Some of the greats in history liked a drink or 12?

Sorry I'm rambling, just thinking out load, and sober

MIRecovery

About the only common factor I have ever seen is intelligence. It is our biggest enemy because we think we can out think our problems when the solution is what we do

Soberwolf

Yes the world has lost millions to this illness/disease/addiction

We don't have to go out like that we can stay sober I know I am I finally woke up (matrix style)

I'm alive for the first time in years !!!!!!

Tic127

Exactly how I feel SB! Matrix style awakening or something !
I really do have a different voice in side my head now!
It is spinning me out a bit.
But all good!

Elphaba

Maybe it's your AV making the correlation?

trachemys

You haven't met the full range of alcoholics yet.

Wastinglife

Alcoholism affects all people of differing intelligence equally. Trust me, it's not just smart people and writers or politicians who suffer.

PurpleKnight

It probably doesn't discriminate across intelliegnce levels!!

I think there was a thread a while back on IQ which I think was designed to judge the same question!!

Aellyce

I also don't believe that alcohol or any other addiction discriminates based on cognitive skills or intelligence. What I do think, though, is that addicts in recovery (especially those like on SR who use social support) often develop outstanding self-awareness and introspective skills, along with becoming quite knowledgeable about their problems, possible solutions, and how to discuss these. I would say successful long-term recovery also often brings out wonderul and previously latent "human" skills from people. Addiction poses a very high level of challenge on people and overcoming it requires personal growth that are not typical generally speaking. I don't think all this is a characteristic of alcoholics or addicts though, but can be found in many other groups of people with chronic illnesses, mental or other kinds. I've seen it myself many times.

jaynie04

I think a lot of alcoholics have issues with self regulation. Because of that when they do express emotion, from the highs or lows, the acuity with which they feel things could be construed as a sort of emotive intelligence.

As stated so eloquently by Haennie, I think the alcoholic/addict who is forced to stop dead in their tracks to get sober has to go through some sort of intense overhaul midstream. We can't just meander through the life that was obviously not working. I think self exploration, introspection and incisive assessment are part of sobriety. And when I hear people claim to be "grateful" to be alcoholics, I believe that it is because there is an intensity that is a natural offshoot of the process of getting sober.

Often I think this intensity could be typified as intelligence.

dwtbd

It would be nice to think so , but the biggest commonality seems to be the drinking

soberjuly

I've seen all range of intelligence in alcoholics. It may be the circle of people you hang around or perhaps alcoholics of average intelligence don't post on message boards, all sorts of reasons.