Understanding the 5 Types of Alcoholism

by MindTech

The young adult subtype is less likely to have a full-time job but is more likely to be in college than other groups. This subtype drinks less frequently than others but is very likely to engage in binge drinking when they do. While it is very unlikely that a member of this group will seek out treatment, they are most likely to seek out a 12-Step program if they do. Of this type, about 76% are male and only 7.6% have received a college degree, although another 13.4% are still in school.

While some young adult alcoholics may be able to quit drinking on their own, many require professional help to address underlying emotional issues that contribute to their alcohol use disorder. This group has a higher education level than most but not as high as the functional subtype. More members of this group have full-time jobs than any other, but their income level tends to be lower than the functional subtype. While this group is not especially likely to seek treatment, those that do tend to attend self-help groups, specialty treatment programs, detoxification programs, and private health care providers. About 31% of functional alcoholics have a close family member who also has alcohol dependence. They have moderate rates of major depression (24%) and smoking cigarettes (43%), and low rates of anxiety disorders, other substance use disorders, and the lowest rates of having legal problems (fewer than 1%).

The Effects of Alcoholism on Mental Health

This group tends to start drinking younger (around 17) and also develops an alcohol dependence earlier (around 32). This subgroup is very likely to have had immediate family members with alcoholism. They also have high probability of suffering from antisocial personality disorder, depression, generalized anxiety disorder, and bipolar disorder. This group also suffers from high rates of cigarette, Marijuana, and Cocaine addiction.

• In 1893 Kerr, who also was an honorary member of the American association, published the influential textbook Inebriety and Narcomania, which divided inebriates into two groups, periodic and habitual (Kerr 1893).
• So if you or your loved one is exhibiting symptoms of ANY of these types of alcoholism, don’t wait too long!
• To achieve sobriety, he says, treatment must focus on “complete abstinence and elimination of other forms of substance abuse and also mainstreaming their behaviors” so they function better in society.
• A ‘nutty professor’ type of drinker is someone who undergoes a significant personality transformation when consuming alcohol.

A chronic severe alcoholic likely started drinking and struggling with alcohol-related issues and problematic drinking at a young age and is currently middle-aged. 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. This subtype of alcoholics is relatively young, about 26 to 27 years old, with 75 percent being male. They began drinking the earliest of all five types, at around 15 years-old, with the average age of dependency starting at age 18. More than half of young antisocial alcoholics come from families with alcoholism, and about half have been diagnosed with Antisocial Personality Disorder.

Does your Insurance Cover Rehab?

The following checklists for each type can help you determine which subtype you might fall into. Nearly 32 percent of alcoholics fall into the young adult category, making it the most prevalent https://ecosoberhouse.com/ subtype in the U.S. The typical young adult alcoholic is about 25 and started drinking at age 19 or 20. Men outnumber women 2.5 times to 1 in this category, and they tend to be single.

“Subtypes of Alcohol Dependence in a Nati[…]presentative Sample.” Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 2007. However, certain food groups also have benefits when it comes to helping with the discomfort of withdrawal symptoms and detoxification. Tertiary alcohols are having the hydroxyl group attached to the carbon atom. The physical feature of these alcohols primarily depends on their structure. Methyl alcohol, also known as methanol and wood alcohol, mainly finds use as an industrial solvent.

Alcohol Affects Women More than Men

The first is that pound for pound, women’s bodies contain less water and more fat. This means that women’s organs are exposed to alcohol for a longer period of time compared to men’s organs. This is also the reason why the threshold 5 types of alcoholics for intoxication is lower for women than it is for men. Moreover, the societal and financial impact of alcoholism can be significant and may result in loss of employment, financial difficulties, and relationship problems.

Many people don’t seek help for themselves or a loved one with a drinking problem due to shame, embarrassment, or being unable to recognize the problem for what it is. Learning about the five types of alcoholics can strengthen this understanding. For example, young adult alcoholics tend to have better chances of recovery than chronic severe alcoholics because they have less physical damage, fewer co-occurring disorders, and more social support.

There are many resources available for those struggling with alcohol addiction, including support groups, counseling, and rehabilitation programs. 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. Chronic severe alcoholics include the highest percentage of people struggling with co-occurring psychiatric disorders and other substance abuse issues. This group also experiences the highest alcohol-related emergency room visits, work and social problems, and withdrawal.

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. Young adult alcohol dependents are 2.5 times more likely to be male than female. About 75% have never been married, 36.5% are still in school, and 54% work full time.

Around 19.5 percent of the alcoholic population in the United States falls into the functional alcoholic subtype. Someone who is considered a functional alcoholic may lead a kind of double life, compartmentalizing their drinking from the rest of their life. 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. Nearly 50 percent have a family history of alcoholism, and co-occurring mental illness is prevalent. Approximately half suffer from clinical depression, and about 1 in 5 has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Approximately 22% have a first- or second-degree family member who is also dependent on alcohol. Compared to other types of alcoholics, young adults are less likely to have psychiatric disorders or legal problems. Alcohol is often implicated in exacerbating aggression, and the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (NCADD) publishes that 40 percent of all violent crimes cite alcohol as a contributing factor. Chronic severe alcoholics suffer from psychiatric disorders more often than other subtypes of alcoholics, including bipolar disorder, depression, and anxiety disorders.

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