5 Types of Alcoholics Characteristics of Each Alcoholic Type

Of all subtypes, the functional subtype is the least likely to have legal problems; they are the least likely to report problems due to their drinking. They have the highest education levels and incomes of all types of alcoholics. These are people that may seem to have their lives together; they may be the ones that others look up to. 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.

• People who fall into the young adult alcoholic subtype also rarely have a family history of alcoholism.
• Biological and environmental factors, as well as a person’s age when they first drink alcohol, can also be contributing factors to alcohol abuse, dependence, and addiction.
• A BAC from 0.25% to 0.40% causes stupor, unconsciousness, anterograde amnesia, vomiting (death may occur due to inhalation of vomit while unconscious) and respiratory depression (potentially life-threatening).

Nearly 26% have a college degree or higher, and the average household income is almost $60,000, the highest among any of the subtypes. The young adult subtype is the most prevalent subtype, making up 31.5% of people who are alcohol dependent. The average age of dependent young adults is almost 25 years old, and they first became dependent at an average age of around 20 years old. They tend to drink less frequently than people of other types (an average of 143 days a year). However, most of their drinking is binge drinking – they drink 5 or more drinks on 73% of their drinking days. This pattern of alcohol use is more likely to be hazardous than non-binging patterns.

Subcategories of Alcohol Use Disorder

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. About 66 percent of chronic severe alcoholics seek treatment for their alcohol dependence.

Thankfully this subtype is the most likely to seek help for their alcoholism, often from rehab programs, self-help groups and detox clinics. While most people tend to lump alcoholics into one group, characteristics of alcoholics differ. There are five major subtypes of alcoholics as identified by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), each with different types of alcoholics characteristics. By understanding each type of alcoholic, you can learn how this disease affects you personally so you can seek the treatment you need. Individuals in this group are about 38 years old and initially started drinking around the age of 16. However, for this group, alcohol dependence typically develops at around 29 years old.

Different Types of Alcoholics

As previously mentioned, however, there are multiple types of alcoholic subtypes. The following checklists for each type can help you determine which subtype you might fall into. This blog is for informational purposes only and should not be a substitute for medical advice.

Nearly 50% experience antisocial personality disorder, the second-highest rate of any subtype. People in the chronic severe subtype are the most likely of any group to experience major depression, dysthymia, bipolar disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, social phobia, and panic disorder. They also may have addictions to cigarettes, marijuana, cocaine, and opioids. Chronic severe alcoholics often smoke and may also suffer from cocaine, opioid, and/or marijuana dependence in addition to alcohol addiction. This subtype of alcoholics is the most likely to seek treatment and the most heavily represented type of alcoholic in a treatment program.

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They have the highest divorce rate — 25.1 percent — of all the alcoholic types. Only 9 percent have gone to college, and only 43 percent are employed full time. They drink more heavily than any other type of alcoholic, consuming alcohol 248 days of the year on average and drinking five or more drinks 69 percent of the time. This subtype has the highest rates of divorce, separation, and visits to the emergency room due to drinking. With one of the lowest education levels of any subtype and the lowest employment rate, this group drinks more frequently than any other, although their total alcohol intake is less than that of the young antisocial subtype. Sixty-six percent have sought help at some point, making them the group most likely to have done so.

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. One such issue is that of a perceived need for professional help and recognition that a problem with alcohol exists. In 2013, the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) reported that of those who needed treatment and didn’t receive it, approximately 95.5 percent didn’t feel they needed it.