Folks within the intermediate familial subtype account for 19% of alcoholics. They often started drinking at a young age and have a family history of alcoholism. However, they didn’t start struggling with alcohol issues until middle age.
Findings of the Stockholm Adoption Study
But they started drinking much earlier than young adult alcoholics — usually by the age of 15 or 16. Researchers found that 21.1 percent of alcoholics fall into this category. Their alcoholism usually manifests by the time they are 18 or 19, and more than half come from families with alcoholism. If you have it, you should know that you are not alone and you are living with a chronic medical condition that needs proper management and treatment. Some research shows that up to 6.2% of the American population lives with this condition. Recognizing that you need help is the first step in your treatment journey.
What do most people with alcohol use disorder have in common?
No two alcoholics are the same, but it can be helpful to categorize people who struggle with their drinking to understand how to provide them with the support that they need to get well. The Recovery Village Atlanta provides robust treatment for those struggling with alcohol misuse. Our facility offers residential, partial hospitalization, intensive outpatient and medical detox programming. Reach out today and one of our Recovery Advocates can answer your questions and guide you through the admissions process. Boca Recovery Center is here to provide the best quality care in the treatment of drug and alcohol addiction. One size does not fit all and a treatment approach that may work for one person may not work for another.
Can People With Alcohol Use Disorder Recover?
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. Although you may suspect that you or someone you love may need help with alcohol use disorder, you might not think you need a treatment program to reduce drinking. Some people can quit cold turkey or taper their alcohol consumption without much difficulty.
In addition, Moss said it is crucial for functional alcoholics to focus on abstinence or return to less dangerous drinking levels. Young adults tend to drink less often than older alcoholics, but they binge drink more. The young adult subtype also often abuses other substances besides alcohol and rarely seeks treatment. The work shows that different genes and proteins are involved in various drinking behaviors. The researchers further suggest their results highlight the need for more research surrounding the genetics involved with people drinking alcohol.
The NIAAA has identified five subtypes that can help you better understand alcohol use disorder and how it affects different individuals. All but the young adult subtype have a high chance of having a family history of alcohol misuse or AUD. Genetics and one’s home environment can play a What Makes Drugs Addictive Find Out How & Why Drugs Are Addictive role in a person’s risk for AUD and should be addressed in therapy as part of a comprehensive treatment plan. Young adults comprise the largest portion—31.5%—of people with alcohol use disorder in the United States. And within that group, college students are most likely to engage in alcohol misuse and develop AUD. Alcohol may become a focal point in your life, and social activities revolve around drinking.
- This subtype includes 19.5% of those who struggle with alcohol use but appear to be functioning.
- Severity is based on the number of criteria a person meets based on their symptoms—mild (2–3 criteria), moderate (4–5 criteria), or severe (6 or more criteria).
- If you or someone you know suffers from alcohol use disorder, seek treatment as soon as possible.
- The five alcoholic subtypes—young adult, young antisocial, functional, intermediate familial, and chronic severe—require different approaches to AUD treatment.
- To recover from AUD, seeking professional help and attending support groups is essential.
- For example, those with co-occurring mental health disorders typically require integrated substance use and mental health treatment—known as dual diagnosis treatment—to fully recover.
Alcohol misuse can lead to health problems, financial worries, and even job loss, but once a person is addicted, they may find it impossible to quit. AUD often involves binge drinking and heavy drinking, although this is not always the case. Drinking more than moderate amounts of alcohol can increase the chances of dependence or addiction. The chronic severe subtype is the least prevalent, accounting for only about 9 percent of alcoholics.13 However, this group is the most severe, with heavy drinking occurring almost daily.