What emerged were clear patterns—distinct clusters of traits, behaviours, and risk factors that define different alcoholic types. If you or someone you know suffers from alcohol use disorder, seek treatment as soon as possible. Chronic severe alcoholics experience the highest alcohol-related emergency room visits, professional and social problems, and withdrawal. Functional alcoholics account for 19.4 percent of all alcoholics.13 They usually begin drinking at 18. Intermediate familial alcoholics are more likely to have been genetically predisposed to alcoholism. Young antisocial alcoholics account for 21 percent of alcoholics.

However, functional alcoholics don’t become dependent until around 37, and they’re typically in their 40s.3 They usually start drinking around age 17 and develop dependence around age 32. They account for about 19 percent of all alcoholics.11 When heavy or binge drinking is the norm in a family, people tend to fall into drinking as normal behavior.

  • Chronic severe alcoholics present the greatest treatment challenges.
  • There is evidence that with abstinence, there is a reversal of at least some of the alcohol induced central nervous system damage.
  • More than half of young antisocial alcoholics come from families with alcoholism, and about half have been diagnosed with Antisocial Personality Disorder.
  • This is the rarest group, making up about 9.2% of alcoholics, but it presents the most acute health and social consequences.

Young Adult Type: Jason’s College Years

But five or more drinks per episode (four for women) constitutes binge drinking. Days or weeks might pass without touching alcohol. About two-thirds seek treatment—the highest rate of any type. Drinking occurs most frequently among all groups, more days per year than any other subtype. Cigarettes, marijuana, cocaine, and opioids frequently accompany alcohol. Major depression, dysthymia, bipolar disorder, generalized anxiety, panic disorder, and social phobia all show elevated rates.

Why Understanding the 5 Types of Alcoholics Matters

Drinking alcohol may exacerbate aggressive behaviors demonstrated by individuals with antisocial personality disorder (ASPD). Unlike young adult alcoholics, antisocial alcoholics don’t drink socially with peers. Most young antisocial alcoholics are also male (about three-quarters of the group).

Mixing Weed and Alcohol: Effects and Risks

Because of this shared evolutionary history, nonhuman primates have been used as models to understand alcoholism. Humans’ closest relatives, the chimpanzees, have a predominantly frugivorous diet which supports the idea of their common ancestor’s frugivorous dietary heritage. The evolution of alcoholism is thought to originate at the consumption of fermented fruits. Biblical, Egyptian and Babylonian sources record the history of abuse and dependence on alcohol.

Intermediate Familial Subtype: Fran’s Family

The idea of hitting rock bottom refers to an experience of stress that can be attributed to alcohol misuse. One study quantified the cost to the UK of all forms of alcohol misuse in 2001 as £18.5–20 billion. One Australian estimate pegged alcohol’s social costs at 24% of all drug misuse costs; a similar Canadian study concluded alcohol’s share was 41%. Estimates of the economic costs of alcohol misuse, collected by the World Health Organization, vary from 1–6% of a country’s GDP.

Whether you are seeking intensive outpatient care or simply need guidance on your mental health journey, we are here to help. When they do seek assistance, they prefer private healthcare providers or 12-step programs. The primary causes of AUD in this subtype are multifaceted, involving a combination of genetic predisposition and environmental factors.

This long-standing pattern, coupled with high denial and low perceived need for help, makes initiating and sustaining treatment more difficult for this group. Because they appear successful on the surface, they are less likely to recognize their drinking as problematic. They are also the least likely to seek treatment, which contributes to underdiagnosis.

  • Humans’ closest relatives, the chimpanzees, have a predominantly frugivorous diet which supports the idea of their common ancestor’s frugivorous dietary heritage.
  • Comprehensive treatment approaches that address both alcohol dependence and co-occurring disorders are essential.
  • These genetic factors influence the rate at which alcohol and its initial metabolic product, acetaldehyde, are metabolized.
  • The primary causes of AUD in this subtype are multifaceted, involving a combination of genetic predisposition and environmental factors.
  • At Freedom From Addiction, we are dedicated to liberating alcoholics from substance misuse and its consequences.
  • Other substance dependencies (particularly cigarettes and marijuana) are common.

Intermediate Familial Subtype

The goal isn’t to shame or categorize, but to guide people toward clarity, understanding, and help. Or maybe your own relationship with alcohol has changed, and you’re looking for answers that make sense of the chaos. Maybe you’ve noticed troubling drinking patterns 5 types of alcoholics according to the niaaa in a loved one but can’t tell if it’s just stress or something deeper.

Drinking at inappropriate times and behavior caused by reduced judgment can lead to legal consequences, such as criminal charges for drunk driving or public disorder, or civil penalties for tortious behavior. Psychosis, confusion, and organic brain syndrome may be caused by alcohol misuse, which can lead to a misdiagnosis such as schizophrenia. Psychiatric symptoms usually initially worsen during alcohol withdrawal, but typically improve or disappear with continued abstinence.

Nova Recovery Center Austin, Texas.

In conclusion, understanding the different types of alcoholics can help us better understand and support those struggling with alcohol addiction. Alcoholism is a complex disorder that can manifest in various ways, making it crucial to recognize and understand the different types of alcoholics. The young antisocial subtype is characterized by individuals who exhibit both alcohol addiction and antisocial behavior. While understanding the different types of alcoholism is crucial, effective treatment is equally important for navigating this substance use disorder. In terms of treatment, individuals in this subtype are more likely to seek help for their drinking problems compared to other subtypes.

Genes that influence the metabolism of alcohol also influence the risk of alcoholism, as can a family history of alcoholism. As with similar substances with a sedative-hypnotic mechanism, such as barbiturates and benzodiazepines, withdrawal from alcohol dependence can be fatal if it is not properly managed. Men with alcohol-use disorders more often have a co-occurring diagnosis of narcissistic or antisocial personality disorder, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, impulse disorders or attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

It can also serve as a guide to what treatment programs can help best. It’s a chronic disease marked by an inability to control alcohol consumption. It can happen on individual occasions (binge drinking) or habitually. However, these numbers can vary depending on your alcohol tolerance and other biological responses. Binge drinking equates to roughly five drinks for men and four for women within two hours. The good news is they’re more likely to seek treatment than those in other groups at 66%.

What are the key factors to consider when categorizing various types of alcoholics?

This is the least common but most dangerous type of alcoholic. This is often one of the most difficult subtypes to treat, as these individuals may not believe they have a problem—or may not care. Many are also diagnosed with antisocial personality disorder or similar behavioral disorders. But beneath the surface, this subtype involves frequent binge drinking and a high risk of long-term consequences.

The physical dependency caused by alcohol can lead to an affected individual having a very strong urge to drink alcohol. It has different definitions and one of this defines it as a pattern of drinking when a male has five or more drinks on an occasion or a female has at least four drinks on an occasion. A 2020 scientific review found clinical interventions encouraging increased participation in AA (AA/twelve step facilitation (TSF))—resulted in higher abstinence rates over other clinical interventions, and most studies found AA/TSF led to lower health costs.a The medications acamprosate or disulfiram may also be used to help prevent further drinking. Due to medical problems that can occur during withdrawal, alcohol cessation should often be controlled carefully.

How Do People Become Alcoholics?

In this blog article, we cover the different types of alcoholics and how they can seek help to stay sober. There is no single definition for this idea, and people may identify their own lowest points in terms of lost jobs, lost relationships, health problems, legal problems, or other consequences of alcohol misuse. Beyond the financial costs that alcohol consumption imposes, there are also significant social costs to both the alcoholic and their family and friends. Natural selection favoring primates attracted to alcohol, even if the benefits were not direct, is one hypothesis for why some people are more susceptible to alcoholism than others. In 2005, alcohol dependence and misuse was estimated to cost the US economy approximately 220 billion dollars per year, more than cancer and obesity. There is a high rate of suicide in chronic alcoholics, which increases the longer a person drinks.