Did you know that there are actually five different types of alcoholics? Alcoholism can simply be defined as a disease that has affected millions of people who live in every corner of the world and more people than you think would benefit from alcohol and drug treatment. From the recent studies, it has been identified that alcoholism affects different people in different ways. Therefore, drug and alcohol treatment centers initially try to identify the exact type of alcohol abuse and then offer the treatments accordingly. You don’t need to visit the drug and alcohol treatment centers in order to know what type of alcohol abuse that you are affected by.

Exploring and Understanding the Five Types of Alcoholics

Before discovering about the five main types of alcoholics as proposed by drug and alcohol detox centers, it is worth to pay attention towards the symptoms of alcoholism. The term alcoholic is defined as an individual who is affected by alcoholism. This chronic illness is associated with four main symptoms including the craving or the strong need to have alcohol, a physical dependence of alcoholism, loss of control and tolerance. According to data collected from drug and alcohol inpatient rehab centers, people who suffer from alcoholism will find it as a difficult task to cease drinking and they don’t have any control over the situation. These symptoms can be identified through proper drug and alcohol evaluation.

5 Types of Alcoholics (According to Actual Research)

The five main types of alcoholics are categorized based on studies conducted by the NIAA research. Each type has its own unique characteristics, risk factors and drinking behaviors. These five types are:

1. The young adult subtype – A large number of individuals who suffer from alcoholism fall into this category. Unfortunately, people who belong to this category are least likely to get the help of drug and alcohol programs, or to attend drug and alcohol meetings to get assistance.

2. The young antisocial subtype – People who are in their mid-twenties fall into this category. These people usually have mental health issues such as depression. As a result, they don’t tend to visit drug and alcohol rehab centers.

3. Functional subtype – Middle aged people belong to this category. They are educated and well employed. As a result, they think about drug and alcohol rehab, but usually, don’t tend to get the help of them.

4. Intermediate familial subtype – Middle aged people who belong to families that have multi-generational alcoholism fall into this category.

5. Chronic severe subtype – You can rarely find people who belong to this category. These people have very high cases of personality disorders, come from families with multigenerational alcoholism and are suffering from health issues. They might also have substance abuse issues.

The treatment for people who suffer from different subtypes of alcoholism are not the same. That’s because each patient has his own coping mechanism, preferences, and medical issues. In other words, treating a person who belongs to the young adult subtype requires a different plan when compared to severe alcoholic cases. Therefore, it is recommended for the people who suffer from alcoholism to look for the nearest drug and alcohol detox centers and find a reliable one out of them.

If you or someone you love is struggling with alcoholism, call The Discovery House today at (855) 203-7930.