Conversely, type II alcoholism generally commenced during adolescence or early adulthood, and alcohol consumption frequently was accompanied by fighting and arrests. In addition, alcohol abuse was moderately severe and frequently required treatment, although the severity of abuse did not change over time as it did in type I alcoholism. The chronic severe subtype makes up the smallest percentage of alcoholics, with only 9.2%. This group tends to start drinking at a young age (around 15) but typically develops an alcohol dependence at an intermediate age (around 29). Seventy-seven percent of this group have close family members with alcoholism, the highest percentage of any subtype. And 47% of the members of this group exhibit antisocial personality disorder, the second highest rate of any subtype.
How Alcohol Addiction Is Like an Abusive Relationship
Common mental health conditions that co-occur with AUD are depressive disorders, anxiety disorders, trauma- and stress-related disorders, other substance use disorders, and sleep disorders. Studies show that people who have AUD are more likely to suffer from major depression or anxiety over their lifetime. When addressing drinking problems, it’s important to also seek treatment for any accompanying medical and mental health issues. These two alcoholism subtypes, however, represent only the prototypes or extremes of a continuous spectrum of manifestations of alcoholism. Many of the subtype characteristics (e.g., personality traits) are inherited independently of each other, and all possible combinations of personality traits occur (Cloninger 1987b, Svrakic et al. 1993). Thus, extensive variability exists in the individual’s predisposition for alcohol abuse and related behaviors (Cloninger et al. 1995).
Some people may transition between different alcoholic types based on changing life circumstances, but this probability depends on various factors, including their sun rock marijuana response to treatment. Of the alcoholism subtypes, functional individuals are less likely to relapse. Our state-specific resource guides offer a comprehensive overview of drug and alcohol addiction treatment options available in your area. Researchers foundthat about 65% of chronic severe alcoholics are male.
Many different types of medications are commonly prescribed to help treat substance use. The type of drug prescribed depends on many factors, including the phase of treatment a person is in. 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. Knowing where you or your loved one falls under the five categories of alcoholics can help you recognize and understand the signs of a developing addiction.
Understand Addiction
Too much alcohol affects your speech, muscle coordination and vital centers of your brain. A heavy drinking binge may even cause a life-threatening coma or death. This is of particular concern when you’re taking certain medications that also depress the brain’s function. Several different medications are given while a person is going through detox; these drugs help safely manage a person’s withdrawal symptoms.
- One size does not fit all and a treatment approach that may work for one person may not work for another.
- Thus, a substantial proportion of people with alcoholism were not represented in the samples previously used to define subtypes of this disease.
- This group also suffers from high rates of cigarette, marijuana, and cocaine addiction.
- Three medications are currently approved in the United States to help people stop or reduce their drinking and prevent a return to drinking.
Getting Help for Alcoholism
This post discusses five distinct categories of people who suffer from alcoholism. By exploring each category in depth, you’ll better understand the complexities surrounding alcoholism. You’ll also know why it requires special treatment for successful recovery. BetterHelp can connect you to an addiction and mental health counselor. Identifying the specific type of alcoholic makes it easier to understand and treat people’s problems.
Some may be more inclined to develop alcoholism due to their genetics and family history, while others may develop alcoholism due to environmental and psychological factors. People with ASPD are21 times more likelyto develop alcohol dependence in their lifetimes. Meanwhile, alcohol ismore likely to increase aggressive behaviors in people with ASPDthan in people without. This may be because alcohol interferes with executive functioning in the brain, which regulates and inhibits aggressive behavior. People with ASPD also show impaired executive functioning, which may make them particularly vulnerable to this effect. Only8.7%of young adult alcohol dependents have ever sought treatment for their drinking problem.
This demographic’s average age is 24, with most being male, single, still in school, and with family histories of alcoholism. Of this type, about76% are maleand only7.6% have received a college degree, although another13.4% are still in school. Approximately47% are employed full time.Family incomes average around $32,000, the lowest among the subtypes alongside the chronic severe subtype.
Approximately22%have a first- or second-degree family member who is also dependent on alcohol. Compared to other types of alcoholics, young adults areless likely to have psychiatric disorders or legal problems. Most likely what a person pictures when the term alcoholic is used, the chronic severe alcoholic subtype only accounts for about 9 percent of the entire US alcoholic population. 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. 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.
These predictions reflect the empirical findings that type II alcoholics consistently exhibit high novelty-seeking traits and low cooperativeness; however, their levels of harm avoidance may vary. The differences in personality traits between type I and type II alcoholics led to a hypothesis about the underlying motivation for alcohol consumption in the two subtypes (Cloninger 1987a). According to this theory, type I alcoholics experience a late onset of alcoholism because their high harm avoidance trait initially inhibits the initiation and frequency of drinking.
An alcoholic is someone who has developed an alcohol dependence and is experiencing physical and psychological cravings, tolerance, and withdrawal symptoms when trying to cut down or quit. Alcohol impacts brain chemistry, and regular exposure to the mind-altering substance may actually change the way the brain’s circuitry works. An individual may then suffer from cravings and withdrawal symptoms when alcohol isn’t active in the bloodstream, encouraging the person to drink more to feel better. The young adult alcoholic may not seek help for their problematic drinking, as drinking to excess at this age is often considered “normal” and part of a phase of life.