Who is a Functioning Alcoholic and What are the Alcoholic Types?

The functional alcoholic may be good at covering up emotional distress and issues with alcohol, and able to maintain outward appearances of success. Thorough assessments can help treatment providers to determine what the right type and level of care might be for a person battling alcohol addiction. For instance, when co-occurring mental health conditions are also present, an integrated treatment plan is ideal.

Adult Children of Alcoholics (ACOA) and Family Roles

That’s because they can balance their drinking with their personal and professional life. Moreover, many don’t believe they have a drinking problem until they start experiencing health issues. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAA) studied alcoholics and how they differ. Each subtype is unique and offers a bit more insight into alcohol abuse.

Addiction Risk Factors: Identifying and Understanding Key Vulnerabilities

Additionally, young antisocial alcoholics have a high probability of having other substance use disorders. About three-quarters of them are regular smokers, and 66 percent meet the marijuana abuse/dependence criteria. Many also have a high probability of cocaine use disorder and opioid use disorder. Functional alcoholism can be challenging to identify, as individuals may hide their drinking habits and maintain a facade of normalcy. If you suspect that you or someone you know may be struggling with functional alcoholism, it’s crucial to seek help from healthcare professionals or addiction specialists. By recognizing the different subtypes of alcoholism, we can tailor interventions and support systems to meet the unique needs of individuals struggling with alcohol addiction.

Factors that Contribute to Intermediate Familial Alcoholism

77% of chronic severe subtypes have close relatives suffering from alcoholism, and more than 80% of this group struggle to stop their alcohol dependence. With acute alcohol withdrawal, more than 90% find themselves subservient to alcohol, despite the terrible physical and mental symptoms it causes. In their favor, because this form of alcoholism is easy to spot, https://ecosoberhouse.com/ young antisocial alcoholics are more likely to seek treatment. They are also more likely to try more substantial treatment programs such as detox programs and help from a health care provider. If you or a loved one suffers from alcohol use disorder (AUD), you must seek addiction treatment. Luckily, there are several treatment options for all types of alcoholics.

Alcohol Use Disorder by Demographics

• Alcohol impacts brain chemistry, and regular exposure to the mind-altering substance may actually change the way the brain’s circuitry works.
• Their problems distract the family from the alcoholic’s problems and behaviors.
• More than 50 percent of young antisocial alcoholics have a psychiatric diagnosis of antisocial personality disorder, a mental condition characterized by antagonism and a callous disregard of others and the law.
• This category is also likely to consume high levels of alcohol within a short period, although they drink less frequently than others.

Rehabilitation programs are an excellent treatment option for people with severe symptoms of the condition. They remove you from your triggers and focus on helping you heal for the period you are in them. You are likely to engage in several forms of therapy, from individual to group therapy.

Traits and Treatment of Young Adult Alcoholics

Young adults generally start drinking around the age of 19 and develop an alcohol dependency by 24. Members of this group are 2.5 times more likely to be male than female and are usually single. They have comparatively low rates of co-occurring mental health conditions and moderate rates of other substance abuse disorders.

Chronic severe alcoholics typically exhibit a pattern of heavy, prolonged drinking that significantly impairs their ability to function in daily life. They may struggle to maintain employment, relationships, or even basic self-care. The physical and psychological 5 types of alcoholics effects of chronic severe alcoholism can be devastating. Functional alcoholics, also known as high-functioning alcoholics, are individuals who are able to maintain their jobs, relationships, and social lives while struggling with alcohol addiction.

• This knowledge can provide a sense of hope and motivation throughout the recovery process.
• If you or someone you know is showing traits of alcohol use disorder, contact your healthcare provider.
• These alcoholics show comparatively low rates of co-occurring mental health disorders and moderate levels of substance use disorders.
• Genetic, environmental, and psychological factors influence the risk of becoming an alcoholic.
• This category generally suffers from moderate levels of depression, low rates of other co-occurring disorders, and very low rates of other substance use disorders.
• Fewer than 20% of this subgroup seek help, and when they do, most turn to a 12-step program or private healthcare professional.

What Are the Risks of Alcohol Abuse?

They are likely have a steady job, a seemingly stable family life, and do not often fit into the traditional stereotype of an alcoholic. The largest percentage of alcoholics fall into this group, as NIAAA publishes that 31.5 percent of all alcoholics in the United States fit this subtype. This group is typically in their late teens or early 20s, and either just of legal drinking age or slightly younger.

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Several factors contribute to the development and maintenance of functional alcoholism. These factors can include genetic predisposition, environmental influences, and psychological factors. The name chosen for this group seems odd but was selected because the majority of its members are middle-aged and come from families with a history of alcoholism. It is unclear, however, whether this statistic is accurate because they watched alcoholic behavior growing up or whether they have a genetic disposition to inherit the disorder.

Factors that Contribute to Functional Alcoholism

These classifications have distinguished alcoholism subtypes based on a multitude of defining characteristics, including drinking patterns, consequences of drinking, personality characteristics, and coexisting psychiatric disorders. As shown in table 2, similar alcoholic subtypes can be categorized within two broad groups, called the Apollonian and Dionysian types, based on recurrent characteristics of the drinkers. This subtype of alcoholics is relatively young, about 26 to 27 years old, with 75 percent being male. They began drinking the earliest of all five types, at around 15 years-old, with the average age of dependency starting at age 18. More than half of young antisocial alcoholics come from families with alcoholism, and about half have been diagnosed with Antisocial Personality Disorder.