Alcoholic Stereotypes

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There is an older man stumbling down the street, a bottle in a brown paper bag hanging down at his side. Clothes baggy and dirty, looking as if he was homeless. This is the perception of what many people may picture when they hear the word alcoholic. However, this is not how most of them look. Stereotypes, such as this one, create denial in alcoholics and decreases their chances of getting help. People know that they are not the person that is stumbling down the street at night so they do not see themselves as having a problem. There are five different types of alcoholics; young adult, young antisocial, functional, intermediate, and chronic severe. Alcoholism is a mental illness and compulsive behavior resulting from alcohol dependency. It …show more content…
They rarely miss work or other obligations because of their drinking. Typically, they are smart and witty and successful in their lives. To people around them they seem perfectly normal. These individuals are in denial; they have not suffered financially or missed work, and do not see themselves as having a problem. They can display a functional tolerance where they do not exhibit signs of intoxication as people with a normal tolerance for alcohol.
Alcoholism is known as a genetically influenced disease. Individuals who come from a family that have a history of alcoholics usually become alcoholics themselves at an early age, about 30 years old. They are referred to as having intermediate familial alcoholism. It may not only run in the family but if a child grows up in a home with a parent that abuses alcohol they are accustom to that behavior and do not see it as being a problem. The family may encourage this behavior, unintentionally, because they allow alcohol to be abused at a young …show more content…
These individuals are typically divorced men, often homeless or living in a dysfunctional housing situation. They are often involved in the use of other substances and may suffer from depression or schizophrenia. A chronic alcoholic will consume alcohol everyday at dangerously high levels. For treatment, they require medical intervention. Since they are physically addicted to alcohol they will go though withdraws unless they go through medical detoxification. If they are not medically detoxified they are a risk of having a heart attack or cardiovascular collapse. They also may require therapy to treat other conditions as well as being treated for their alcoholism. These individuals often suffer from depression, anxiety, or other personality disorders.
Another consideration is that individuals who drink a lot may not be dependent upon alcohol. One person’s idea of excessive alcohol consumption is probably different than someone else’s idea. Looking at a college student who binge drinks on the weekend doesn’t mean they drink this amount every single day or that they have a dependence on alcohol. If this is your only interaction with this person it is understandable that stereotypes can be assumed. This type of binge drinking behavior is a stepping-stone to more dangerous behaviors and could eventually lead to the dependency of
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