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Types of Alcoholic Drinking

Ahhh alcohol. The juice, the hooch, grandpa’s old cough medicine, the devil’s elixir, booze- these are just a few of the slang names we use to mention the fermented liquors that we love to imbibe. Alcoholic beverages have been around since the dawn of time and cannot or will not be silenced. In the United States, there’s been prohibition and many various laws to prevent the enjoyment that sipping a little of the hard stuff can provide. There’ve been taxes raised and lowered and different products that have come and gone. One thing is for certain, the sauce is not going anywhere anytime soon. This is wonderful news, fantastic news, spectacular news for the party time people and those who unwind at the end of their day with a chilled glass of their select brand. I mean, who doesn’t like to sit back and decompress like that? Then there are the others. Yes, the other category of people who cannot drink a little bit without turning into that classic case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Speaking directly of course of us alcoholics, alcohol is here to stay and it’s important we don’t let the sneaky substance catch those in recovery off guard. Unfortunately, there are many alcoholics that have not crossed path with a 12 step program or found a solution of any sort for that matter. We have these various types of alcoholic drinking categories that various types of alcoholics commonly fit into. Despite the sorting of said alcoholism, there isn’t much fun being an active alcoholic no matter what set of eyes you view it from.

Alcoholic Slavery  

When we boil down the subject and really take a look at the reduction, there are generally five different types of alcoholic drinking that most beings of chemical dependent nature fall into. Taking a look at the progression of the disease is important to note as well when dissecting the types of alcoholics out there. Diving right into it, we take a look at the first type of alcoholic which is usually the:

Young Adult Alcoholic

This is the type of alcoholic in their early to mid-twenties who doesn’t recognize the issue at hand. This is typically the young adult who views their drinking as a lifestyle choice and enjoy going to parties frequently. This person will convince themselves or justify their actions that it is age involved and appropriate for the timing in their lives. There is a lot of heavy binge drinking here, but the outcome of the alcoholic can always change on a case by case basis. Age has no effect on addiction and alcoholism, unfortunately. Addicts and alcoholics in their teenage years appear all of the time. It is kind of like the big book of Alcoholics Anonymous says, not quote for quote, but “alcoholism doesn’t care about race, gender, religion, sexuality, creed, or organization” it is a disease that really any human mind is susceptible to. Moving further on, we take a gander at the next type of alcoholic drinking.

 Young Antisocial Alcoholic

This is the person who has progressed from being the young adult alcoholic without making any changes in behavior and has just progressed in the fine game of “miserably drinking to cope.” This is a person generally in their youth still as they progress from the late twenties to mid-thirties, but other disorders and coping mechanisms have started to become a way of life. Unfortunately, in most circumstances this person has begun to exhibit very antisocial behavior and has a cross addiction with that matches their personality best, often times this is marijuana or some form of nicotine like cigarettes.  

Falling on down the ladder of categorization very quickly, we stop on the next rung of alcoholic thinking that groups people as being

alcoholic woman laying on couch

Functional Alcoholics

This is exactly like it sounds and there’s a slew of them that belong to our families, immediate circle of friends, co-workers, and even your daily mailman, (just a possibility, don’t go harass any USPS workers please.) These people are the alcoholics that still manage to live a decently normal life with only a few problems from alcohol caused here and there. These drinkers are typically younger to middle aged people who have families, businesses, responsibilities ranging all over- and they learn to get by and accomplish their duties. However, these people drink heavily and use alcoholic to cope with their daily struggles and stresses. Often times, the functional alcoholic is not too far off from being the “stereotypical alcoholic” that we all think about, but we won’t go down that road yet. Going from functional alcoholics to the next grouping, we take a quick peek at the:

intermediate Familial Alcoholics

The familial ones are people that have a genetic disposition to become addicts and alcoholics because it runs in their bloodline. There are families like mine for instance that have multiple breeds of addict and alcoholic in them. Addiction and alcoholism are believed to be hereditary and to lob somebody in this class all depends on the stature of their family ancestors and various relations.

Chronic Severe Alcoholic

Last is the type of alcoholic who just falls off this ladder we’ve been sliding down and studying. This is the alcoholic who falls off said ladder from being too inebriated, cracks their head open, winds up in the hospital, and then wants to drink more. This is the last type of alcoholic drinking on our list and it is the last type you want to be. This is the final position that chemical dependency drags us to so as to drown us by the river. Nothing else in life matters but the booze and other narcotics that we can get our hands on. Everything that was once important has ceased and life has become mundane and numb. THIS is what alcohol wants of alcoholics. THIS is where bottled dreams lead us to. THIS is the final stage before “the god please kill me right now” hits. Keep an eye out because chances are there’s somebody you know that falls into each kind and they may need your support more than ever.

Falling Down and Getting Up

Life is but a dream. The reality of chemical dependency is that problems come and go, but alcoholism arrives and is there to stay. Some find themselves in the severe chronic stage in the blink of an eye and have no idea how to tread water and stay above the liquor. If you or a loved one has been struggling with getting a firm grasp on sobriety or alcoholic tendencies and need a solution, please call 1-800-481-8457 or visit oarcstaging.wpengine.com. Our teams of specialists are waiting by to help figure out what options are best for sending your life is a comfortable direction that you can proudly stand behind.

One response to “Types of Alcoholic Drinking

  • Ekaterini Malekas

    4 years ago

    I have lived & breathed the horror of my separated partner who is a Chronic severe alcoholic. A Dr Jekyll and Hyde for 5 years. MY Father was the same towards my beautiful Angelic mother. In the end I realised I attracted my father. I realised I cannot help them.

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