5 Types of Drinkers: Which Pattern Fits You?

A study by scientists at the NIAAA, part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), analyzed 1,484 survey respondents who met specific diagnostic criteria for alcohol addiction. Examples of stress drinking include having a drink to help deal with the challenges of a demanding job or the pressure of financial struggles. Walden prepares you to become a multifaceted professional who can make a difference in many settings throughout your career. While earning an online master’s in health education and promotion, you’ll learn about historic milestones and study future trends. You’ll analyze the factors that impact both individual and population health.

Type A: Lower Risk/Severity

Furthermore, heavy drinking can interfere with the body’s natural ability to regulate stress hormones, leading to heightened feelings of anxiety and irritability. The Intermediate Familial subtype is characterized by individuals who have a family history of alcoholism and often start drinking at an early age. These individuals may experience periods of heavy drinking, but they may also have periods of abstinence or controlled drinking.

For Individuals

Meanwhile, secondary alcoholism requires integrated treatment of both alcoholism and primary psychiatric disorder. Recognize the signs of marijuana addiction and discover the truth about cannabis use disorder. This article outlines ten effective strategies to avoid drug addiction, ensuring a healthier and more fulfilling life.

Risk factors

• Professional help may include medical detoxification, where individuals are guided through the process of safely withdrawing from alcohol under medical supervision.
• Support groups, such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), provide a safe and non-judgmental environment for individuals to connect with peers who have faced similar challenges.
• 18.8% of alcoholics are classified as ‘intermediate familial’ alcoholics.
• Below, we explore what “alcoholic” really means, the stigma around the term, and the different types of alcohol misuse.
• This group tends to begin drinking at an early age (around 19) and also develops an alcohol dependence early (around 24).

It is important to recognize that support is available for both alcoholics and their families. Speak with Refine Recovery to explore treatment options, verify insurance coverage, and start your recovery from alcohol addiction today. When someone you love is struggling with alcohol abuse, it’s hard to know where to turn. These programs may involve prayer sessions, group discussions centered around faith or spirituality, and support from religious leaders or mentors. Faith-based programs can provide a sense of community and belonging for individuals seeking support while also addressing their spiritual needs. Remember that recovery is a continuous process, and relapses may occur.

• For any form of alcoholism, understanding the emotional triggers driving alcohol use is key to achieving lasting recovery.
• Early introduction of alcohol to that development process can mean a lifelong struggle with addiction, mental health issues, and an increased risk of life-altering and potentially deadly accidents.
• This subtype has the highest rates of divorce, separation, and visits to the emergency room due to drinking.
• These patterns expose how addiction develops over time and influences the course of recovery.
• Gamma alcoholism involves physical and psychological dependence on alcohol with no ability to stop, and suspending drinking will result in withdrawal symptoms.

And within that group, college students are most likely to engage in alcohol misuse and develop AUD. In the U.S., the young adult alcoholic subtype comprises 31.5% of all alcoholics. This demographic’s average age is 24, with most being male, single, still in school, and with family histories of alcoholism. The effort was made to categorize different types of alcoholics, partly to dispel the myth that there is a typical alcoholic. These people have an underlying antisocial personality disorder, exhibiting various harmful behaviors.

A stress drinker may have a drink to relax and unwind after a taxing workday or use alcohol to cope with difficult situations or relationships. 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. Because denial is common, you may feel like you don’t have a problem with drinking.

Alcohol misuse—which includes binge drinking and heavy alcohol use—over time increases the risk of alcohol use disorder (AUD). It’s less likely for them to have co-occurring mental health conditions or family histories of alcoholism. As a result, many within this group don’t seek treatment for their substance use.

Alcohol addiction impacts individuals in various ways, making it a complex and multi-faceted condition. Understanding the six types of alcoholics and how to identify them can offer valuable insights that pave the way for appropriate support and treatment. These classifications stem from differing drinking patterns, habits, and underlying causes, each with its behaviors and challenges.

Recovery Podcasts: Exploring Medication-Assisted Treatment

Social drinkers can easily balance their drinking with other activities and responsibilities and do not typically experience negative consequences due to their drinking. Types of Alcoholics Behaviorally, those in the Intermediate Familial Subtype may exhibit inconsistent drinking behaviors, oscillating between periods of excessive alcohol consumption and relative moderation. This inconsistency can make it challenging to identify alcoholism in its early stages and may contribute to difficulties in seeking help or intervention. These alcoholics also tend to spend a considerable amount of time using and recovering from alcohol while also experiencing a reduction in productivity due to drinking.