5 Types of Alcoholics According to the NIAAA

Of the alcoholism subtypes, functional individuals are less likely to relapse. They often have steady jobs, relationships, decent family incomes, and have accomplished a higher education. However, identifying similarities can help people identify what kind of alcoholic they are. In this blog article, we cover the different types of alcoholics and how they can seek help to stay sober. According to the NIAAA, to determine the level of severity, individuals are asked questions similar to what’s listed below.

When heavy or binge drinking is the norm in a family, people tend to fall into drinking as normal behavior. These people have an underlying antisocial personality disorder, exhibiting various harmful behaviors. Criminal activity, disregard for safety, impulsiveness, deceitfulness, and a lack of remorse are the defining traits of this group. With ⅔ of this group having sought out treatment for their alcoholism they are the most likely of all the subtypes to seek help. Help for them can be found through rehabilitation programs, self-help groups, detox programs, private specialists, social workers, and psychiatrists. If you or someone you care about needs help to stop drinking and is ready to begin treatment for alcohol abuse, contact Chapman House TODAY.

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1. They are also the most likely to participate in detox programs at inpatient treatment centers with private health care providers.
2. No two alcoholics are exactly the same, but many people with alcoholism share common characteristics.
3. The typical Functional alcoholic is middle-aged, well-educated, has a good job, and lives what appears to be a “normal” family life.
4. The next largest group of alcoholics is called the functional subtype, accounting for 19.5% of alcoholics.

Third, the study had used multiple data sources and efficient statistical methods to classify the subjects’ alcohol abuse and determine relevant characteristics of the adoptees’ genetic and environmental backgrounds. The Gothenburg study replicated the Stockholm study by including all children born to single mothers between 1930 and 1949 whose fathers were known and who were adopted by nonrelatives at an early age. Based on these criteria, the study evaluated 577 male and 660 female adoptees. These observations suggest certain patterns of neurotransmitter activity in different alcoholic subtypes. For example, people with antisocial personality traits or type II alcoholism are expected to be uncooperative and to have low serotonergic activity in the CNS.

In analyzing the proteins they had identified, the researchers found what they describe as minimal overlap between genes and the proteins they code for and the different types of AUD. They suggest this indicates that each type of AUD has different genetic factors. In addition to professionally led treatment, many people benefit from mutual support groups. Groups can vary widely, so it's important to try different ones to find a good fit. Healthcare professionals now provide up-to-date treatments backed by science.

While they only account for 9% of those dealing with alcoholism, they’re the most common subtype you’d come across in treatment. In collecting the study data, the researchers made use of several characteristics of the Swedish social system that allow extensive data collection. In addition, extensive records exist documenting a person’s history of alcohol abuse.

Medications for Alcoholism

Their alcohol consumption is the highest of any subtype of alcoholics and they drink excessively during their drinking sessions. Because these drinkers are young and drinking heavily, the damage that can be caused to their brains is greater. Chronic Severe alcoholics have the highest rates co-occurring mental disorders, including anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, and antisocial personality disorder. Alcohol use disorder is common in the U.S., and understanding that addiction looks different for each person is important. Some people may use alcohol to cope with stress or mental health conditions, while others may consume it socially, out of boredom or as part of their daily routine.

Addressing Co-Occurring Disorders

They don’t drink as often as other subtypes, but they do have high rates of binge drinking. While approximately 15 million American adults suffer from alcohol use disorder, fewer than 1 in 10 typically seek treatment for addiction. Five types of alcoholics exist, and the type can influence whether or not people choose to seek treatment for their addiction.

In the U.S., the young antisocial subtype comprises 21% of all alcoholics. The young antisocial alcoholic subtype starts drinking at 15 and develops an AUD around 18. Most young antisocial alcoholics are also male (about three-quarters of the group). Prior research and anecdotal evidence have shown that not only do people have different alcohol consumption habits, but they behave differently after consumption. In new research, the team focused only on those types of drinking behaviors that they deemed problematic, which they describe as alcohol use disorder (AUD). Person-centered treatment helps provide treatment modalities that are most suited to the individual.

We do not receive any commission or fee that is dependent upon which treatment provider Want to Quit Drinking Use These 8 Strategies to Make It a Reality a caller chooses. Join our supportive sober community where each day becomes a step towards personal growth and lasting positive change. You might be prescribed medication to help with your condition in severe cases. John C. Umhau, MD, MPH, CPE is board-certified in addiction medicine and preventative medicine.

They are also the most likely to participate in detox programs at inpatient treatment centers with private health care providers. Type I and type II alcoholics also differed in their patterns of electrical brain waves as measured by an electroencephalogram (EEG). These differences existed when the subjects were resting (Cloninger 1987a), but also when they were exposed to certain stimuli. Uncommon stimuli interspersed among common stimuli (e.g., a rare green light among a sequence of red and yellow lights) elicit brain waves, called event-related potentials (ERP’s), that are made up of several components.

What Types of Alcohol Treatment Are Available?

Making up just 9.2 % of all alcoholics, chronic severe subtypes are the rarest of them all.. However, those that do fall into this subtype display the most severe symptoms of chronic alcoholism. Most of this group started drinking around 15 years old and find themselves with alcohol dependence at around 29.