Five Subtypes of Alcoholics
Wayne Macfadden MD served patients at International Psychiatric Services in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Alongside his clinical work, Wayne Macfadden MD has completed dozens of medical research studies on topics such as alcoholism. According to the National Epidemiological Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC), National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), and the National Institutes of Health (NIH), there are five subtypes of alcoholics. Nearly a third of alcoholics in the United States belong to the young adult subtype. People in this subtype start drinking by the age of 19 and develop dependence by 24. They have a lower rate of co-occurring mental health conditions than other subtypes and a moderate family history of alcoholism and substance use disorders. Further, they often binge drink, drinking on few occasions in the average week. The next subtype is the young antisocial alcoholic. This group also starts drinking at a young age and displays early episodes of binge drinking and heavy drinking. People in this group often have antisocial personality disorder and high rates of bipolar disorder, depression, and obsessive-compulsive disorders. Addiction to marijuana, cigarettes, or other drugs is also common in this subtype. The next groups are functional alcoholics and intermediate familial alcoholics, accounting for 19 percent of people with an alcohol use disorder. People in the functional subtype have a higher income and more education than the other subtypes. They also maintain stable relationships with other adults but often binge drink. The intermediate familial subtype has close family members who abuse alcohol. Drinking for this subtype often occurs because of family stress. Finally, the chronic severe subtype accounts for 9 percent of people with alcohol use disorder. This subtype displays high divorce rates and a high likelihood of polydrug use. Dr. Macfadden acknowledges these patients are amongst the most difficult to treat.















