Alcoholism also known as alcohol dependence and alcoholic addiction is a pathological disorder marked by compulsive drinking, acute anxiety, obsessive thoughts, physical tolerance, memory loss, thiamine deficiency and physical withdrawals.

Nearly 40% of all unnatural deaths (homicide, suicide and accidents) involve alcohol. Approximately 100,000 Americans died last year of alcoholism not including unnatural deaths (homicide, suicide and accidents). The statistics are staggering. The only substance that causes greater health problems in the U.S. is tobacco and tobacco related products; accounting for approximately 450,000 deaths.

Alcoholism can kill in many ways. Alcoholism death is not only cirrhosis of the liver.

Alcohol quickly affects the brain; slowing a person’s reaction time, impairing equilibrium, altering perception and generating unpredictable behaviors.

40% of all unnatural deaths are linked to alcohol abuse.

Alcoholism death can be as quick as slipping in the bathroom but it can also take years.

Alcohol Rehab Admissions:

Recently the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism defined 5 different categories of alcohol dependence; Young Adult, Young Antisocial, Functional, Intermediate Familial and Chronic Severe. This is further evidence that there is no such thing as a typical alcoholic. Alcoholics cross all sections of society and vary in age, race, religion, education, socio-economic background and psychological make-up (extroverts and introverts).

Young Adult subtype: 31.5 percent of U.S. alcoholics. Young adult drinkers, with relatively low rates of co-occurring substance abuse and other mental disorders, a low rate of family alcoholism, and who rarely seek any kind of help for their drinking.

Young Antisocial subtype: 21 percent of U.S. alcoholics. Tend to be in their mid-twenties, had early onset of regular drinking, and alcohol problems. More than half come from families with alcoholism, and about half have a psychiatric diagnosis of Antisocial Personality Disorder. Many have major depression, bipolar disorder, and anxiety problems. More than 75 percent smoked cigarettes and marijuana, and many also had cocaine and opiate addictions. More than one-third of these alcoholics seek help for their drinking.

Functional subtype: 19.5 percent of U.S. alcoholics. Typically middle-aged, well-educated, with stable jobs and families, about one-third have a multigenerational family history of alcoholism, about one-quarter had major depressive illness sometime in their lives, and nearly 50 percent were smokers.

Intermediate Familial subtype: 19 percent of U.S. alcoholics. Middle-aged, with about 50 percent from families with multigenerational alcoholism, almost half have had clinical depression, and 20 percent have had bipolar disorder. Most of these individuals smoked cigarettes, and nearly one in five had problems with cocaine and marijuana use. Only 25 percent ever sought treatment for their problem drinking.

Chronic Severe subtype: 9 percent of U.S. alcoholics. Comprised mostly of middle-aged individuals who had early onset of drinking and alcohol problems, with high rates of Antisocial Personality Disorder and criminality. Almost 80 percent come from families with multigenerational alcoholism. They have the highest rates of other psychiatric disorders including depression, bipolar disorder, and anxiety disorders as well as high rates of smoking, and marijuana, cocaine, and opiate dependence. Two-thirds of these alcoholics seek help for their drinking problems, making them the most prevalent type of alcoholic in treatment.