Interpersonal types among alcohol abusers were examined with Calsyn, Roszell, and Anderson's (1988) nine-type system for classifying FIRO-B profiles. The frequencies of the nine FIRO-B types among a sample of 135 male veteran alcohol abusers were compared with Calsyn et al.'s (1988) previously published data for a sample of male veteran drug abusers, a normative veteran sample, and a general population sample. The alcohol abusers, like Calsyn et al.'s sample of drug abusers, were more likely to be categorized as "loners," "rebels," and "pessimists" than was the general population sample. While exhibiting preferences for interpersonal types that emphasized social withdrawal, avoidance of responsibility, and mistrust of others, both the alcohol abusers and the drug abusers were heterogeneous groups whose members demonstrated a variety of interpersonal types.
Investigations of the personal adjustment patterns and problems of alcoholics have reported both common traits (Goldstein
& Linden, 1969) and identifiable personality types (MacAndrew, 1983; Nerviano & Gross, 1983) among this clinical population. When comparative studies of the personal adjustment patterns and problems of opiate addicts and alcoholics have been reported, the results have revealed striking similarities