Antisocial personality disorder commonly co-occurs with alcohol abuse, as alcohol can lower social inhibitions and anxiety, and make a person feel more relaxed. Drinking may then be used as a method of self-medicating the personality disorder symptoms. People who fall into the young adult alcoholic subtype also rarely have a family history of alcoholism. Alcoholism is considered to be a heritable disease, as NIAAA reports that genetics can account for about half of the risk for developing the disease. The flip side of this coin, however, is that environmental and other factors make liberty bells mushrooms up the other half of the risks for the onset of addiction. While approximately 15 million American adults suffer from alcohol use disorder, fewer than 1 in 10 typically seek treatment for addiction.
They also have high probability of suffering from antisocial personality disorder, depression, generalized anxiety disorder, and bipolar disorder. This group also suffers from high rates of cigarette, marijuana, and cocaine addiction. Many people who fall into the young antisocial alcoholic subtype suffer from other mental what does ketoacidosis smell like health disorders as well, such as bipolar disorder, anxiety disorders, or depression. As many as three-fourths of this subset also smoke marijuana and/or cigarettes, and many also struggle with opioid or cocaine addictions as well. Polydrug abuse, and co-occurring disorders combined with alcohol abuse, increases the risk for addiction and can interfere with treatment measures.
Intermediate Familial Alcoholics
Classifying alcoholism into subtypes can also help identify and remove barriers to professional assessment and treatment. For example, those in the chronic and severe subgroup tend to have the lowest socioeconomic status. This means that while they may benefit most from inpatient treatment, they may not be able to financially afford the cost. One way to help remove that barrier to treatment would be to support these people in seeking affordable insurance options, treatment grants, scholarships, or loans.
Getting Help for Alcoholism
Nearly 26% have a college degree or higher, and the average household income is almost $60,000, the highest among any of the subtypes. Functional alcoholics make up 19.4% of alcohol-dependent individuals. They also have a later age of first drinking (average of 19 years) and a later onset of alcohol dependence at an average of 37 years. They tend to drink alcohol every other day, an average of 181 days per year, and they consume five or more drinks on 54% of those days. This subtype of alcoholics is generally in their mid-20s and started drinking young. Early episodes of binge and heavy drinking (binge drinking on five or more days in the same month) can elevate the risk for struggling with alcohol-related issues later in life.
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. Over 6 percent of American adults battled an alcohol use disorder (AUD) in 2015, the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) publishes. Less than 10 percent of adults in the United States who struggled with alcoholism in 2015 received professional treatment for the disease, NIAAA further reports. There are, however, five identified subtypes of alcoholics as identified by the National Institute of Health.
They tend to prefer self-help groups, detoxification programs, specialty treatment programs and individual private health care providers. 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. About half of this subtype of alcoholics smoke cigarettes, and one-third have a family history of alcoholism. Around one-quarter of the functional alcoholic demographic have had at least one major depressive episode in their lives as well.
Chronic Severe Subtype
That’s exactly what happened to ABC news anchor Elizabeth Vargas, a functional alcoholic who sought treatment for an alcohol addiction in 2014 after years of trying to hide her drinking. Experts in the field of addiction say these categories are more than just labels — they can also be useful tools in treating alcoholism. Researchers found that they have the highest rates of employment among alcoholics, what to do if you have been roofied with 68% working full-time and an average family income of nearly $50,000 a year. About 64% are male, while around 38% are married and 21% are divorced. In many cases, you may not expect a functional alcoholic to have a problem.
Alcohol Treatment with Dr. Wandler
- According to NIAAA, around 20 percent of college students struggle with alcohol addiction.
- When they drink, their maximum number of drinks is 17, the highest of any subtype of alcoholic.
- It can also serve as a guide to what treatment programs can help best.
- While over 6% of the American adult population suffers from AUD, only about 10% of those who need help for alcohol abuse and addiction actually seek out professional treatment, according to the NIAAA .
- They typically drink every other day, consuming five or more drinks on average, and they often surround themselves with others who drink heavily.
Still, people dealing with AUD can achieve and maintain sobriety with appropriate treatment and support. Enter your phone number below to receive a free and confidential call from a treatment provider. Our admissions navigators can also help you start the treatment admissions process, discuss ways to cover the cost of treatment, and help verify your insurance coverage. Drinking heavily can put a great deal of strain on the body, as each sip requires intense liver and kidney work.