Different patterns of successful long-term adjustment in genetically defined subtypes of alcoholics

In this personal two-decade follow-up of 55 socially well adjusted male alcoholics it was found that patterns of successful adjustment differed significantly between type 1 and type 2 alcoholics, as defined by Cloninger, Bohman and co-workers, with a higher frequency of stable sporadic abuse ("atypical abuse") and lower frequency of social drinking or abstinence in type 2 alcoholics (p less than .01). In this sample atypical abuse was related to psychiatric and social outcome characteristics as favourable as in social drinking and abstinence.