Researchers Identify Alcoholism Subtypes National Institutes of Health NIH

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Inpatient Treatment

• We surveyed 2,136 American adults who either wanted to stop drinking alcohol or had already tried to (successfully or not).
• One such issue is that of a perceived need for professional help and recognition that a problem with alcohol exists.
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• Only 9% have a college degree, and they also have the lowest employment rate.
• Family incomes average around $32,000, the lowest among the subtypes alongside the chronic severe subtype.

This spectrum recognizes that alcoholism is not a one-size-fits-all condition and that there are variations in how it manifests in different individuals. Alcohol use disorder is often linked to other mental health conditions such as depression or anxiety. Talking to a qualified therapist can help you 5 types of alcoholics get to the root of your condition and devise a means to kick it. The NIAAA has identified five subtypes that can help you better understand alcohol use disorder and how it affects different individuals. If you or a loved one is struggling with alcohol use disorder, you should seek help right away.

Functional Alcoholism Treatment and Recovery

Around half suffer from clinical depression and an equal amount come from families with generational alcohol dependency. A minority, around 20%, reported having issues with dependence on marijuana or cocaine alongside alcohol. Around one quarter of those in this category seek help for their alcoholism. The chronic severe subtype of alcoholism represents a smaller but significant portion of individuals struggling with alcohol addiction. This subtype is characterized by severe and persistent alcohol dependence, often leading to significant health, social, and psychological consequences. This group has a higher education level than most but not as high as the functional subtype.

Treatment Approaches

The question many of these professionals have been asking for the last few decades has been, “Are there different types of alcoholics? ”This article provides some of the historical attempts about the classification of alcoholics and explains the five different types of alcoholics as they are currently understood. Their alcohol consumption is the highest of any subtype of alcoholics and they drink excessively during their drinking sessions.

The Spectrum of Alcohol Use Disorder

To the extent that different methods have identified subtypes with similar features, this provides strong evidence for the cumulative wisdom of the past as well as the progress made in recent years. Habitual inebriety begins as a “voluntary indulgence” that eventually crosses the line between the physiological and the pathological, resulting in a deterioration of physical and mental abilities. Both habitual and periodic inebriety may manifest themselves in different ways, leading to a further classification of inebriates as social and unsocial. Social inebriates drink openly with other drinkers, whereas unsocial, or solitary, inebriates shun the company of others and tend to drink secretly, often because of “neurasthenia” (i.e., exhaustion of the nervous system).

• Long-term, they risk developing chronic health problems and potentially setting the stage for lifelong struggles with alcohol addiction.
• These alcoholics also tend to spend a considerable amount of time using and recovering from alcohol while also experiencing a reduction in productivity due to drinking.
• Periodic inebriety is characterized by intense drinking or craving for alcohol interspersed with periods of abstinence.
• These individuals also have high rates of cigarette, marijuana, and cocaine addiction.

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• While cirrhosis scars from excessive drinking are irreversible, quitting alcohol and leading a healthier lifestyle can help your liver heal from alcohol-related liver disease.
• While two-thirds have sought alcohol rehab for their addiction, it’s important that any treatment program address their co-occurring disorders and include therapies focused on preventing alcohol relapse.
• Binge drinking equates to roughly five drinks for men and four for women within two hours.
• Substances may include cigarettes, marijuana, methamphetamine, cocaine, and opioids.

However, while they are “functional” in a sense, they are still suffering from addiction. Less than 20% of this subgroup has sought help, and most do so from a 12-step program or a private health care professional. They are also young (average age 26 years) and have the earliest age of onset of drinking (average is under 16 years old) and the earliest age of alcohol dependence (average of 18 years). Young antisocial alcoholics drank an average of 201 days in the last year, binge drinking (consuming five or more drinks) on an average of 80% of their drinking days. When they drink, their maximum number of drinks is 17, the highest of any subtype of alcoholic.

Functional Subtype

Moreover, they did not lead to the development of theories explaining the etiology, manifestations, and consequences of alcoholism, because they did not propose verification procedures to test assumptions and predict behavior. In discussing the general causes and conditions favoring inebriety, Crothers (1911) also classified alcoholism as either acquired or hereditary. People with acquired inebriety often have histories of physical disorders, particularly dyspepsia (i.e., indigestion), bad nutrition, and exhaustion from unhygienic living conditions or stressful work environments. Conversely, hereditary causes include constitutional conditions, such as distinct neurotic and psychopathic disorders that often are traceable to ancestors. 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.

Addiction Treatment Plans: Crafting Personalized Paths to Recovery

• While over 6% of the American adult population suffers from AUD, only about 10% of those who need help for alcohol abuse and addiction actually seek out professional treatment, according to the NIAAA .
• The family may rally to try to help the scapegoat, which continues to take the focus off of the alcoholic parent and onto this child.
• One way to take action is to regularly have informal talks about your loved one’s drinking.

And 47% of the members of this group exhibit antisocial personality disorder, the second highest rate of any subtype. This subtype is the most likely of any to experience major depression, dysthymia, bipolar disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, social phobia, and panic disorder. This group also is very likely to experience addiction to cigarettes, marijuana, cocaine, and opioids. This category of alcoholics represents the smallest percentage of alcoholics, with only 9.2 percent. Although this category of individuals generally starts drinking at the of 15, they usually develop alcohol dependence at an intermediate age of around 29 years old. Seventy-seven percent of this category has immediate family members with alcoholism, the highest percentage of any subtype, and 47 percent of this category exhibit antisocial personality disorder, the second-highest rate of any subtype.

People who suffer from antisocial personality disorder also typically struggle with poor impulse control, which may then make them more vulnerable to participate in risky and problematic drinking, and other self-destructive behaviors. Young brains do not have a fully developed prefrontal cortex, meaning that young people may have more difficulties controlling emotions and impulses, and are therefore more likely to take bigger risks without fear of consequences. This subtype of alcoholics is generally in their mid-20s and started drinking young. Early episodes of binge and heavy drinking (binge drinking on five or more days in the same month) can elevate the risk for struggling with alcohol-related issues later in life.