Alcoholism Stages and Subtypes: What You Need To Know

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.

• Genetics, environment, personal habits, and mental health history all contributed to their choice the fact that they have continued to drink despite negative consequences.
• It can be extremely difficult to tell if someone is addicted to alcohol or not at this time, as it is normal to drink regularly and to excess.

Other symptoms, such as missing work and increased irritability or forgetfulness, may be observed. Many may benefit from support groups if they seek help during this stage. During the first stage of alcoholism, the person is experimenting with alcohol.

INTERMEDIATE FAMILIAL SUBTYPE

When they do seek treatment, they’re more likely to attend a 12-step group or seek treatment from private health care professionals. Functional alcoholics are more likely to smoke but usually aren’t addicted to other substances. They typically drink every other day, consuming five or more drinks on average, and they often surround themselves with others who drink heavily. 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.

Family members and adults may assume that the young adult will then “grow out of it” and do not see the drinking as a potential ongoing or long-lasting issue. Other things, such as having low self-esteem or being impulsive, may raise the risk of alcohol use disorder. By working together effectively, the negative health and social consequences of alcohol 5 types of alcoholics can be reduced. Shifting priorities can be another noticeable change in your loved one. Abandoning priorities to focus on drinking is one of the most apparent characteristics of an alcoholic. Priorities such as work, childcare, or a romantic relationship all take a back seat when someone is focused on obtaining and consuming alcohol above all else.

There Is Help Available For All Types of Alcoholics

There are a few reasons why a person may begin to struggle financially while dealing with alcohol addiction. Genetic, psychological, social and environmental factors can impact how drinking alcohol affects your body and behavior. Theories suggest that for certain people drinking has a different and stronger impact that can lead to alcohol use disorder.

• Functional alcoholics make up 19.4% of alcohol-dependent individuals.
• This group tends to begin drinking at an early age (around 19) and also develops an alcohol dependence early (around 24).
• More than 80% of this group experiences acute alcohol withdrawal and persistent efforts to cut down, and more than 90% experience drinking despite the problems it causes them and drinking larger amounts and for longer than intended.
• Many members of this group smoke cigarettes, but few have other substance use disorders.
• In the meantime, the family might help by removing alcohol from the home and looking for ways to make family celebrations free of alcohol or temptations to drink.

The functional subtype is the alcoholic who nobody believes is really an alcoholic. That is because this alcoholic is functional in most every way, if not more. For example, functional subtypes are successful in maintaining employment, having good relationships with others, and keeping up with activities and hobbies that they enjoy. About 19% of all alcoholics are functional, with the majority of them being in their late 30’s to early 40’s. The functional subtype begins drinking later in their teenage years (around 18) and does not start to struggle with dependence until their late 30’s. Similar to the young antisocial subtype, 60% of all functional alcoholics are male.