About Alcoholics
Alcoholics are generally believed to be some kind of easily identifiable type, but the fact is that there are several different types. While alcoholism is medically defined as a disease, debate still rages over whether this is an accurate description of the effects of alcohol dependence.
Identification
For most of civilization, alcoholics were considered weak-willed individuals who did not know when to say enough is enough. In the latter half of the 20th century, alcoholism came to be defined as a disease technically known as alcohol dependence syndrome. There is still some debate over whether alcoholism should be defined as a disease. However, the American Medical Association's definition of what constitutes a disease is so vague that it makes practically every form of deviant behavior inclusive.
Misconceptions
One of the biggest misconceptions about alcoholics is the image of the main character from the 1980s film "Arthur"--the kind of person who seems eternally tipsy and always has a drink in his hand. In fact, many alcoholics can go for days and weeks and even months without having a drop of alcohol. These types of alcoholics are known as binge drinkers. These alcoholics do not make a habit of drinking, but whenever they do it is always to excess and results in the symptoms most closely associated with alcoholism.
Features
Alcoholics can exhibit a variety of symptoms. Among the most obvious are slurred speech, lack of balance and dulled reflexes. The more expansive symptoms include increased tension and anxiety and a failure to behave in ways considered normal. For instance, a person who is normally shy and reserved may become obnoxious and even aggressive. Alcoholics also tend to allow drink to interrupt their daily lives: Relationships can suffer, work suffers, and many even begin to exhibit signs that they do not enjoy the pleasures of life to the extent that they used to.
Warning
Many alcoholics will reject and deny the accusation that they have developed an unhealthy dependence on alcohol. Even when the signs that their alcoholism is destroying themselves and harming those around them, the first reaction is usually to lash out against the accuser rather than admit to the problem. For this reason, the concept of the "intervention" became popular as a way of confronting an alcoholic with as many people whom the alcoholic's behavior has negatively affected as possible.
Types
Medical research has concluded there are five distinct types of alcoholics. The most predominant type of alcoholic is the young adult subtype. Roughly one-third of all alcoholics fall into this large subtype, and they are characterized by their youth and the fact that they are least likely to seek or even accept help to treat their addiction. Another characteristic of the young adult subtype is that they tend to be binge drinkers rather than regular drinkers of alcohol.
Types
The next most common type of alcoholic is known as the young antisocial subtype. This group accounts for about one-fifth of alcoholics and must deal not only with alcohol abuse but with the fact that most exhibit some kind of antisocial personality disorder. Almost as common is the functional subtype, who are older than the first two types and more affluent and stable. These alcoholics tend to be everyday drinkers.
Types
The intermediate familial subtypes make up about as much of the alcoholic population as functional subtype. The defining characteristic of this subtype is that they tend to have family members who are also alcoholics, indicating a possible genetic predisposition for alcoholism among some people. The least common type of alcoholic, making up less than 10 percent of the alcoholic population, is known as the chronic severe alcoholic. Members of this type tend to abuse other illegal drugs and exhibit the most dysfunctional behavior.
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