It is determined that roughly 31.5% of alcoholics fall into the category of young adults, which is the largest single group. However, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) performed a study to categorize different alcoholics to note their similarities. There’s no one way to describe a ‘typical alcoholic’ since alcoholism develops differently from person to person. Since the causes of alcoholism vary from person to person, the best treatment for one might not work for the next. The medical term for alcoholism is alcohol use disorder (AUD). Functional alcoholics consume alcohol daily or at least several times per week.
Recovery is possible with the right treatment and support. Each type has its own unique traits and treatment options. Alcoholism is a serious problem that affects millions of people around the world. These medications can help reduce performance-enhancing drug use in recreational athletes cravings, block the effects of alcohol, and treat withdrawal symptoms like anxiety and insomnia. Regular meetings can help you stay strong in your recovery and stick to important goals. People in recovery from AUD who share their experiences, coping skills, and strategies typically facilitate these groups.
Understanding Alcoholism: 5 Different Types of Alcoholics
Severe cognitive problems are common; approximately 10% of all dementia cases are related to alcohol consumption, making it the second leading cause of dementia. The amount of alcohol that can be biologically processed and its effects differ between sexes. Additionally, heavy drinking over time has been found to have a negative effect on reproductive functioning in women. Alcoholism reduces a person’s life expectancy by around ten years and alcohol use is the third leading cause of early death in the United States.
Habits for Proper Mental Health
- Researchers foundthat about 65% of chronic severe alcoholics are male.
- Binge pattern alcoholics don’t drink daily.
- Studies by social psychologists Stivers and Greeley attempt to document the perceived prevalence of high alcohol consumption amongst the Irish in America.
- Identifying the specific type of alcoholic makes it easier to understand and treat people’s problems.
- The antisocial subtype, characterized by early onset of drinking around age 15, often displays high impulsivity, aggression, and disregard for social norms.
And 47% of the members of this group exhibit antisocial personality disorder, the second highest rate of any subtype. This group tends to start drinking younger (around 17) and also develops an alcohol dependence earlier (around 32). The intermediate familial subtype accounts for 18.8% of alcoholics. Members of this group generally start drinking later (around 18) and develop an alcohol dependence later (around 37).
Many young antisocial alcoholics also have other substance use disorders, including addiction to cigarettes, marijuana, and opiates. Researchers have identified multiple ways to classify alcoholics, taking into account their drinking behaviors, age of onset, severity, genetic predisposition, personality traits, and co-occurring disorders. Chronic severe alcoholics, characterized by long-term dependence and multiple health issues, often require comprehensive treatment encompassing detoxification, medication-assisted therapy, and long-term counseling. Overall, the interplay of genetic inheritance, mental health issues, and social environment critically shapes different alcoholism subtypes. Functional alcoholics often maintain their professional and personal responsibilities despite their dependence, whereas those with severe phenotypes may face social and legal consequences.
Intermediate Familial Subtype
- Benzodiazepine use increases cravings for alcohol and the volume of alcohol consumed by problem drinkers.
- Another common method of alcoholism prevention is taxation of alcohol products – increasing price of alcohol by 10% is linked with reduction of consumption of up to 10%.
- This is the rarest and most dangerous type of alcoholism,making up 9.2% of alcoholics.
- Drinking during pregnancy may harm the child’s health, and drunk driving increases the risk of traffic accidents.
- Functional alcoholics consume alcohol daily or at least several times per week.
They move beyond simplistic labels to reflect the complex interplay of genetics, personality, social context, and mental health. Major studies, including those by the NIAAA and NESARC, have identified subtypes like Young Adult, Functional, Intermediate Familial, Young Antisocial, and Chronic Severe. His gamma-delta typology focused on dependence and etiology, distinguishing types like gamma (dependent but with less physical damage) and delta (craving and compulsion without dependence). Jellinek introduced a groundbreaking, more systematic typology of alcoholics.
Integrated treatment that simultaneously addresses mental health and substance use yields better outcomes. Treating alcoholism effectively requires understanding the specific subtype of the individual. Conversely, those in the chronic severe group tend to have lower education and income levels, facing higher social and legal challenges. Middle-aged, well-educated, and employed individuals often belong to the functional subtype, managing their responsibilities despite ongoing alcohol problems. Family therapy can address related relational issues, especially in cases where familial patterns of alcohol dependence exist.
Young adult alcoholics are the most common type of alcoholic. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAA) studied alcoholics and how they differ. This post discusses five distinct categories of people who suffer from alcoholism. Our state-specific resource guides offer a comprehensive overview of drug and alcohol addiction treatment options available in your area. This group has the highest rates of drinking, consuming alcohol on anaverage of almost 248 days a yearand binge drinking on69%of them with a maximum of 15 drinks.
Conclusion: Emphasizing the Heterogeneity of Alcohol Dependence
This group also sees the highest rate of emergency room visits due to drinking. This group also is very likely to experience addiction to cigarettes, marijuana, cocaine, and opioids. Sunnyside Med offers access to compounded naltrexone (50mg + B6 5mg), paired with behavioral tools to help you reduce your drinking over time. More members of this group have full-time jobs than any other, but their income level tends to be lower than the functional subtype. This group has a higher education level than most but not as high as the functional subtype. The intermediate familial subtype is 64% male.
Get professional help from an online addiction and mental health counselor from BetterHelp. They also have high probability of suffering from antisocial personality disorder, depression, generalized anxiety disorder, and bipolar disorder. This subgroup is very likely to have had immediate family members with alcoholism. Of all subtypes, the functional subtype is the least likely to have legal problems; they are the least likely to report problems due to their drinking. This subtype drinks less frequently than others but is very likely to engage in binge drinking when they do.
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The smallest group is roughly 9% of alcoholics, but they are the most severely affected. Roughly 31.5% of all alcoholics fall into this category—the largest subtype. What emerged were clear patterns—distinct clusters of traits, behaviours, and risk factors that define different alcoholic types. An alcoholic meets clinical criteria for alcohol use disorder (AUD)—a medical condition characterized by impaired control over drinking despite adverse consequences. Empower change with effective strategies to address alcohol and underage drinking.
The Profound Mental Effects of Alcohol
Most intermediate familial alcoholics begin drinking around age 17 and develop alcoholism later in life, around age 32. The young antisocial alcoholic subtype starts drinking at 15 and develops an AUD around 18. In the U.S., the young antisocial subtype comprises 21% of all alcoholics. This group sits between the young adult types and chronic severe alcoholics in terms of severity.
Although many people in this group do eventually “mature out” of heavy drinking, some carry the habits into later adulthood where the damage becomes more severe. However, the risks are significant—alcohol-related injuries, blackouts, and the progression to more serious alcohol dependence later in life. Out of all the other subtypes, this one rates the highest for abuse of other substances and other psychiatric disorders. Most of this group started drinking around 15 years old and find themselves with alcohol dependence at around 29. Most likely to be male, this group typically starts to drink around age 17 and can find themselves with alcohol dependence by the time they’re 32.
Yet total consumption per session is slightly lower than that of young antisocial alcoholics. This subtype accounts for 19.5% of all alcoholics and typically consists of middle-aged professionals. By appreciating the diversity among alcohol-dependent individuals, healthcare providers can enhance treatment efficacy and support long-term recovery. For instance, some individuals may manage their responsibilities despite heavy drinking (Functional subtype), while others have early onset and significant behavioral problems (Young Antisocial).
Addressing co-occurring mental health issues is crucial across all subtypes to improve treatment adherence and success. Key factors for classification include age at initial drinking, patterns of consumption—such as binge or daily heavy drinking—and family history of alcoholism. The antisocial subtype, characterized by early onset of drinking around age 15, often displays high impulsivity, aggression, and disregard for social norms. Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) exists on a spectrum that ranges from mild to severe, encompassing a variety of behaviors and clinical symptoms related to alcohol dependence, abuse, and addiction. Understanding these types helps healthcare providers develop tailored treatment strategies, acknowledging the complexity and diversity of alcoholism. Alcoholics can be categorized into various types based on their drinking patterns, age of onset, severity, genetic predisposition, and co-occurring disorders.
Ways on How to Avoid Drug Addiction
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans, issued by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) in 2005, defines “moderate use” as no more than two alcoholic beverages a day for men and no more than one alcoholic beverage a day for women. Because there is disagreement on the definition of the word alcoholism, it is not a recognized diagnosis, and the use of the term alcoholism is discouraged due to its heavily stigmatized connotations. Several large GWAS have found differences in the genetics of alcohol consumption and alcohol dependence, although the two are to some degree related. African Americans and Native Americans with this allele have a reduced risk of developing alcoholism. Beer alone is the world’s most widely consumed alcoholic beverage; it is the third-most popular drink overall, after water and tea.
Topiramate effectively reduces craving and alcohol withdrawal severity as well as improving quality-of-life-ratings. A 2010 review found that topiramate may be superior to existing alcohol pharmacotherapeutic options. A follow-up study, using the same subjects that were judged to be in remission in 2001–2002, examined the rates of return to problem drinking in 2004–2005. Mutual support programs such as Moderation Management and DrinkWise do not mandate complete abstinence.