Causes of Alcoholism: Key Risk Factors Explained

Others spiral into addiction by frequently attending events where drinking drug addiction is normalized or encouraged. Understanding why people become addicted to alcohol requires a multifaceted approach, as various factors contribute to the development of alcohol use disorder (AUD). While genetics plays a significant role, environmental, psychological, and social influences also play crucial parts. Below, we explore six key factors that can lead to alcohol addiction. A few empirically validated practices can help identify strong treatment programs. Treatment centers should ideally have rigorous and reliable screening for substance use disorders and related conditions.

How Does Addiction Develop in the Brain?

• People who experience an alcohol-related blackout may keep walking, talking, making decisions, and drinking, but they don’t remember some or all of what happened.
• Stress is unavoidable, making it important to find healthy coping strategies and tools for navigating everyday life.
• Many aspects involve environmental factors, including family history, social relationships and cultural norms.
• Using it to cope can lead to long-term problems and increase an individual’s risk of developing alcohol dependence.

Most struggle against it and craft a variety of arguments to demonstrate that they don’t have a problem. These arguments often rely on misdirection—moving the focus onto someone or something else. The biggest barrier to therapy of any kind that patients may face is shame and stigma; most programs address such concerns directly. The environment in which a person grows up or lives can significantly impact their relationship with alcohol. We offer individualized, extended-term treatment in an intimate setting. Once you’re well enough to return home, you usually continue treatment on an outpatient basis.

Short and Long Term Effects of Alcohol Abuse

Stress, trauma, mental health conditions, and early exposure to alcohol can all influence a person’s risk. Childhood trauma can fuel problematic drinking in adulthood, because the person might use alcohol to cope with feelings of anger, depression, anxiety, loneliness, or grief. Compared to people without a drinking problem, men and women who sought treatment for alcohol addiction had a higher prevalence of childhood trauma, research finds. Furthermore, the greater the abuse or neglect experienced, the more severe their drinking problem was.

Understanding the Disease of Alcoholism

Heavy drinking has long been considered an acceptable practice among teens and young adults ages 18 to 34, and keeping that drinking going past this age is a factor in what causes alcoholism. This rings true for young adults who binge drink in high school and college. The general period of alcohol use begins in the late teens, then peaks in the 20s and finally slows down in the early 30s.

Trauma History

Depression, anxiety, PTSD, and other disorders often co-occur with alcohol use disorder. Many people drink to “self-medicate” when therapy or support isn’t accessible. A history of trauma, neglect, or abuse — especially in childhood — significantly increases the risk of why do people become alcoholics addiction. For some, alcohol becomes a way to manage memories or feelings they don’t know how to process. For many people, drinking simply to get drunk is the driving reason for alcohol use. This may occur inside or outside of a social setting, and it may have nothing to do with relieving feelings of anxiety or emotional distress.

Signs, Symptoms, and Diagnosis

It is a collection of symptoms that develop when the central nervous system attempts to adapt to the lack of alcohol after becoming habituated to it. Alcohol use disorder (formerly known as alcoholism) is a form of substance use disorder. Changes in the brain make it difficult to reduce or stop alcohol use, but treatment can help. High-stress careers, financial pressure, or relationship breakdowns can push people toward alcohol as a temporary escape.