The functional subtype is what you might think of when you hear “functional alcoholics.” Making up 19.5% of alcoholics, this is the group that is holding down jobs and relationships. Members of this group generally start drinking later (around 18) and develop an alcohol dependence later (around 37). This group suffers from moderate rates of depression but lower rates of most other co-occurring disorders. Many members of this group smoke cigarettes, but few have other substance use disorders. The average age is 26 years old, and more than half have an antisocial personality disorder.

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. This subtype is the most likely of any to experience major depression, dysthymia, bipolar disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, social phobia, and panic disorder.

Aetna for Alcohol Rehab

There are many types of alcoholics which complicate the situation as alcoholism is not a one-type-fits-all. Sub-categories are important and reveal a true representation of alcoholism and negative drinking patterns within the U.S. If you are struggling with alcohol misuse despite negative personal, professional, and health consequences, you may fit into one of the five types of alcoholism or alcoholics. You may have heard the term functional alcoholics, someone who can hold down a stable job and keep relationships with their family while exhibiting signs of alcoholism. The functional subtype, which makes up about 19.5% of alcoholics, is just that. Researchers found that about 65% of chronic severe alcoholics are male.

• There are five different types of alcoholics, but the young adult subtype is the most widespread.
• People with acquired inebriety often have histories of physical disorders, particularly dyspepsia (i.e., indigestion), bad nutrition, and exhaustion from unhygienic living conditions or stressful work environments.
• This group also suffers from high rates of cigarette, Marijuana, and Cocaine addiction.
• About half of those in this group have an anti-social personality disorder and are more likely to experience a co-occuring mental health condition such as depression, bipolar disorder, dysthymia or anxiety.

Family members and friends can recognize the type of alcoholic by observing their loved one’s behaviors and their impact on relationships. Still, professional guidance is often needed to provide effective support. They often have steady jobs, relationships, decent family incomes, and have accomplished a higher education. The effort was made to categorize different types of alcoholics, partly to dispel the myth that there is a typical alcoholic.

End-Stage Alcohol Abuse

By the time they reach their late 30’s, they develop a dependence on alcohol. While they have lower rates of a co-occuring disorder, some in this subtype struggle with depression and many are addicted to cigarettes. They start drinking at an even younger age than the young adult type, usually around 15. They also develop alcohol dependence at the youngest age than any other type, often around 18. About half of those in the young adult subtype are employed full-time, and many are still in college. The characteristics of alcoholics in the young adult subtype include drinking less than other types of alcoholics, but when they do use, they engage in binge drinking.

Marixie Ann Manarang-Obsioma is a licensed Medical Technologist (Medical Laboratory Science) and an undergraduate of Doctor of Medicine (MD). She took her Bachelor’s Degree in Medical Technology at Angeles University Foundation and graduated with flying colors. The combination of having a good medical background, being a mom, and wanting to help people, especially the elderly has cultivated her passion for working https://ecosoberhouse.com/ in remote areas with love and compassion. Classifications, while useful for diagnosis, don’t always serve the individual well for their long-term recovery goals. It’s more beneficial to focus on the goals for recovery and acquire the tools, skills, and strategies that help facilitate long-term recovery. “Subtypes of Alcohol Dependence in a Nati[…]presentative Sample.” Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 2007.

Alcoholics Resource Center

When it comes to types of alcoholics, there are many factors to consider to choose the best alcohol addiction treatment. Categorization of alcohol dependency enabled consideration of those who were 5 types of alcoholics type 1 alcoholic, or, social triggers as well as alcoholic personality types. When subcategories were created, it progressed diagnostic methods as no two types of alcohol dependency are the same.