In 2013, the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) reported that of those who needed treatment and didn’t receive it, approximately 95.5 percent didn’t feel they needed it. Those within the chronic severe subtype 5 types of alcoholics are typically middle-aged but began drinking alcohol at an early age. Of this group, 80% have family histories of alcoholism, and many have antisocial personality disorder and engage in criminal behaviors.
The Binge Drinker
Chronic severe alcoholics typically have difficulty functioning normally from day to day. Their condition may have progressed from young antisocial alcoholism, and they may likely experience legal problems, substance abuse problems, and psychiatric disorders like anxiety, bipolar disorder, and depression. The functional alcoholic subtype accounts for about 19% of alcoholics and includes individuals in their early ‘40s. They start drinking around 18 years old but develop alcohol dependence later in life around the age of 37. This type of alcoholic can balance their personal and professional responsibilities while living with addiction. Often, they don’t seek help for their drinking until they experience significant health problems.
A History of Identifying the Different Types of Alcoholics
Chronic severe alcoholics have the highest rate of family members who also experience alcohol dependence at 77%. For some alcoholics who’ve been excessive drinkers for years, it’s a difficult path to embrace sobriety. They may find it extraordinarily challenging and suffer frequent relapses or give up the goal of sobriety completely.
- Alcohol use disorder is common in the U.S., and understanding that addiction looks different for each person is important.
- Our team does their best for our readers to help them stay informed about vital healthcare decisions.
- Because there’s no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to treating an alcohol addiction, understanding a person’s alcoholic subtype can help patients and physicians identify the most effective form of treatment.
- Half of the people in this subtype have experienced depression, and 20% have bipolar disorder.
- This subtype includes 19.5% of those who struggle with alcohol use but appear to be functioning.
- While understanding the different types of alcoholism is crucial, effective treatment is equally important for navigating this substance use disorder.
Alcoholism Symptoms
12-step programs such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) help people reduce their drinking, stop drinking, or maintain abstinence by providing peer support. Support groups are generally used with other lifestyle modification and professional intervention forms. Copers drink to avoid life’s worries and feelings of depression and anxiety. They may seem like neurotic, disagreeable people who lack self-respect. Many drink heavily, and they tend to experience more alcohol-related problems than other drinkers. Copers will likely experience long-term consequences from their avoidant behavior when they fail to address underlying issues.
Traits and Treatment of Young Adult Alcoholics
If you or a loved one is ready to overcome an alcohol addiction, reach out today. Treatment providers can connect you with programs that provide the tools to help you get and stay sober. Call now to connect with a treatment provider and start your recovery journey. A study by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) and National Institutes of Health (NIH) establishes five different types of alcoholics. Each category represents a unique group, but they are all determined by the same factors.
Understanding the Five Types of Alcoholics
Sabino Recovery is a residential recovery center in Tucson, AZ, that provides highly personalized treatment for all forms of alcoholism. Our staff is here to provide the help you need to realize a better future. Not surprisingly, alcohol affects just about every aspect of their life.
About three-quarters of them are regular smokers, and 66 percent meet the marijuana abuse/dependence criteria. Many also have a high probability of cocaine use disorder and opioid use disorder. This research helped scientists identify several different types of alcoholics.
- Thus the data was therefore not a representative sample of men and women, and it also ignored the 25% of alcoholics who never seek or receive treatment.
- Thus, a substantial proportion of people with alcoholism were not represented in the samples previously used to define subtypes of this disease.
- Of the five types of alcoholics discovered in the study, they have the lowest education levels and employment rates of all.
- This group also is very likely to experience addiction to cigarettes, marijuana, cocaine, and opioids.
- This subtype also battles antisocial personality disorder at high rates and regularly has issues with the law and therefore criminal or legal troubles as well.
Medically Assisted Treatment (MAT)
This may be because alcohol interferes with executive functioning in the brain, which regulates and inhibits aggressive behavior. People with ASPD also show impaired executive functioning, which may make them particularly vulnerable to this effect. Over 6 percent of American adults battled an alcohol use disorder (AUD) in 2015, the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) publishes. Less than 10 percent of adults in the United States who struggled with alcoholism in 2015 received professional treatment for the disease, NIAAA further reports.
