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By Sam Andrews
Animator / Designer / Dancer
29/11/2022

The 5 Different Types of Alcoholics

With the highest education and income levels of all alcoholic types, they are predominately middle-aged , male (60%), and married (about 50%). They usually develop an alcohol dependency in their late 30s, later than other subtypes, and experience moderate rates of depression. While they tend to smoke, few have any other forms of substance abuse. Benzodiazepines, while useful in the management of acute alcohol withdrawal, if used long-term can cause a worse outcome in alcoholism. Alcoholics on chronic benzodiazepines have a lower rate of achieving abstinence from alcohol than those not taking benzodiazepines.

Around 47% are employed full time while 13.4% are full-time students and the average family income for this subtype is about $32,000 per year. And when you add in the higher likelihood of alcohol types of alcoholics poisoning and impaired judgement, college drinking can be one incredibly dangerous pastime. This is without a doubt the most common alcoholic type coming in at 31.5% of all alcoholics.

Functional Alcoholic

Discuss your family member’s alcohol use openly and bring up the idea of treatment. The editorial staff of Alcohol.org, an American Addiction Centers resources, is made up of credentialed clinical reviewers with hands-on experience in, or expert knowledge of, addiction treatment. You started drinking and experiencing alcohol-related issues at a young age.

If alcohol is not allowed or nowhere to be found, then the person may refuse to attend, leave in the middle, or sneak alcohol in. Become unable to control the frequency and duration of drinking episodes. Join our online community to learn more about addiction and treatment. You probably also smoke cigarettes and marijuana, and may battle cocaine and opioid dependence. You are likely to have legal issues and may engage in criminal behaviors.

Five Major “Types” of Alcoholics

In Media Studies from Penn State University, but instead of shifting into an academic career in social science, he has decided to put his skills to work in the pursuit of helping those struggling with addiction. How COVID-19 Has Impacted Alcohol AbuseAs the COVID-19 pandemic continues, the numbers of alcohol abuse have continued to rise, causing concern across America. Three-fourths smoke – both tobacco and marijuana – and many have an addiction to opioids for cocaine. Unlike “Young Adults”, however, over a third of these seek professional help. And without proper treatment, alcoholism can continue to ruin your life for years and even decades. That means that less than 1 in 10 of all alcoholics live up to this stereotype.

• Almost everyone in the chronic severe subtype has experienced acute withdrawal symptoms when attempting to cut down.
• This drinking type may not be a problem as long as it doesn’t cause disruptions in personal lives and careers.
• More than 80% of this group experiences acute alcohol withdrawal and persistent efforts to cut down, and more than 90% experience drinking despite the problems it causes them and drinking larger amounts and for longer than intended.
• When alcohol consumption is stopped too abruptly, the person’s nervous system experiences uncontrolled synapse firing.
• They are a little more likely to seek treatment than alcoholics in the above groups, though.

Eventually alcohol’s cumulative effects lead to major medical complications and organic brain disorders. Functional alcoholics typically do not fit the general stereotype for the disease, as alcohol does not regularly interfere with their daily life obligations. In fact, a functional alcoholic will often be middle-aged, professional, educated, married with a family, and keep up appearances as having their lives in order. NIH reports that around half of all functional alcoholics have been smokers, 30 percent have a family history of alcoholism, and 25 percent have suffered from major depression at some point in their lives. Nearly 90 percent of adults in the United States report drinking alcohol in their lifetime, as of the national survey in 2015, theNational Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism publishes. Alcohol is a common and socially acceptable mind-altering substance that many people consume on a regular basis with few issues.

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They drink more frequently than any other group, have the lowest employment rate and are most likely to seek help for their alcoholism (67%). Their preferred treatments https://ecosoberhouse.com/ include self-help, rehab and detox programs. They’re more likely than any other subtype to be employed full-time but have less income than the functional subtype.

• These types of alcoholics, for example, have a 52.5% probability of having a first and second-degree family member with an alcohol use disorder.
• This subgroup is very likely to have had immediate family members with alcoholism.
• This type of alcoholic also has the highest rates of psychiatric disorders as well.
• The functional type of alcoholic is someone who can hold down a job and has stable relationships.

About half have a family history of alcoholism, and about three-quarters also smoke cigarettes and abuse marijuana. NIH reports that many also battle addiction to other substances involving things like opioids and cocaine. Families, spouses, and coworkers may enable the alcoholic behavior of a functional alcoholic since the person remains successful and is able to continue taking care of things personally and professionally despite their drinking. Functional alcoholics will often lead a kind of “double life,” however, and compartmentalize their professional lives separate from their drinking identity.