Why Do People Become Alcoholics or Drink Too Much? Causes of Alcoholism

They also had fewer risk factors for alcoholism (e.g., alcoholic relatives or behavioral problems in school) than alcoholics with a progressive disease course. In contrast, atypical alcoholics either maintained a relatively stable pattern of alcohol abuse or returned to controlled drinking. For example, in the College sample, progression to alcoholism often occurred even more slowly, with some subjects drinking asymptomatically for as long as 20 years before becoming alcoholic.

The Role of Psychiatric Disorders

• The answer involves a mix of genetics, environment, mental health, and personal experiences.
• We’ll get down to the root causes of their drinking, help them heal from the past, and implement new behaviors that are conducive to recovery.
• The five subtypes of alcoholics include young adult, functional, intermediate familial, young antisocial, and chronic severe.
• Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment options.
• Regardless of the factors that may induce the occurrence ofthe disease, the treatments are essentially the same, and alcoholics needintervention, intensive treatment, and long term aftercare therapies.

“Warm” and cohesive environments and close relationships were most characteristic of the men who did not become alcoholics. For example, 29 percent of the Core City men with alcoholic ancestors (i.e., family members who were not part of the subject’s environment) became alcoholic, whereas only 14 percent of the men without alcoholic ancestors developed alcoholism. It is difficult, however, to separate genetic and environmental effects of alcoholic family members on the development of alcoholism in a study subject. In the College sample, 26 percent of the men with alcoholic relatives, but only 9 percent of the men without alcoholic relatives, became alcoholics themselves. Most strikingly, alcohol abuse and dependence were five times less common in men of Italian and other Southern European descent compared with other ethnic groups (e.g., Irish).

While me, I can drink every day for weeks (3-4 glasses) and then quit with no problem. He was literally addicted to anything that stimulated his brain. It can also serve as a guide to what treatment programs can help best. Long-term outcomes and prognosis depend on various factors. Official medical diagnoses of AUD categorize the disorder as mild, moderate, or severe.

The College Sample

The Core City sample was particularly useful for studying the influences of ethnic background on drinking behavior, because the parents of more than 60 percent of the subjects were born outside the United States. The Core City study’s prospective design allowed researchers to determine whether sociopathy could lead to alcoholism (i.e., whether alcoholism was a symptom of the underlying behavioral disorder) or whether sociopathic symptoms were a consequence of alcoholism. Thus, in most patients, alcoholism appears to be an independent disorder that does not develop secondary to other psychiatric disorders, such as depression. Researchers reached similar conclusions when investigating the associations of alcoholism with other disorders (e.g., generalized anxiety disorder). Most studies investigating associations of alcoholism with psychiatric disorders have focused on depression, because both alcoholism and depression tend to run in families and frequently occur together in the same person (Merikangas and Gelernter 1990).

Several different methodological approaches can be used for investigating alcoholism and its characteristics, including cross-sectional and longitudinal studies. For example, alcohol can have long-term effects on the central nervous system that may alter an alcoholic’s personality and perception of the past. Why is it that some people can drink several days a week without getting addicted. Still, people dealing with AUD can achieve and maintain sobriety with appropriate treatment and support. Family members and friends can recognize the type of alcoholic by observing their loved one’s behaviors and their impact on relationships.

Research has shown an increasing link between alcoholism and genetics. These behaviors usually start from experiencing peer pressure or encouragement from friends to binge drink. These situations make individuals more likely to turn to drinking as a means to cope with the stress they experience in their daily lives. People working high-stress jobs or with stressful home situations are more likely to develop alcoholism.

There is a genetic component to alcoholism, and people whogrow up in alcoholic homes are far more likely to become alcoholics themselves.Children born to alcoholic parents, but raised in homes without alcohol abuseor addiction are also predisposed to alcoholism, so we do know that geneticsplays an important role. All of these factors that stem from drinking at an early age can increase a person’s risk of becoming an alcoholic. Stressful life events, mental health disorders, peer pressure, easy access to alcohol, and normalization of heavy drinking can contribute to its development. AA appeared to be at least as effective as clinic treatment in helping alcoholics to begin stable abstinence; however, it was more important for maintaining stable recovery, partly because, like treatment for other chronic disorders, AA is used daily or weekly for years. Among the 111 alcoholic Core City subjects, 42 had returned to asymptomatic drinking (i.e., drinking more than once a month for at least 2 years without experiencing any problems) at age 47. Several researchers have suggested that successful treatment outcomes for alcoholics include not only abstinence but also a return to asymptomatic drinking (Edwards and Grant 1980; Sobell and Sobell 1978).

If you’re concerned about someone who drinks too much, ask a professional experienced in alcohol treatment for advice on how to approach that person. You might not recognize how much you drink or how many problems in your life are related to alcohol use. Unhealthy alcohol use includes any alcohol use that puts your health or safety at risk or causes other alcohol-related problems. This disorder also involves having to drink more to get the same effect or having withdrawal symptoms when you rapidly decrease or stop drinking.

The Chronic Severe Alcoholic

Unfortunately, people who become alcoholics often require professional treatment in order to recover. Teenagers who hang out with others who drink or peer pressure them to drink might be more susceptible to the dangers of alcohol abuse due to the popularity of binge drinking. Similarly, people with anxiety, panic disorders, bipolar disorder, and PTSD are all at a higher risk of developing a drinking problem. However, some people don’t experience any risk factors yet still have a drinking problem. The longitudinal evaluation of the study subjects demonstrated that the development and prognosis of alcoholism can vary significantly among individual drinkers. Conversely, the childhood environment—beyond the influences of an alcoholic parent—did not appear to contribute to the risk of alcoholism.

Individuals may feel pressured to drink by their peers, especially in social situations where alcohol is present. Social factors, including peer influence, cultural norms, and social expectations, can strongly influence an individual’s decision to consume alcohol and the extent of their consumption. This can lead to a cycle of drinking to maintain the desired effects, even as the amount of alcohol consumed escalates. This positive reinforcement can lead to repeated drinking episodes, reinforcing the association between alcohol and positive feelings. While the exact causes of alcoholism are unknown, positive reinforcement and increased tolerance are two factors that contribute to the development of alcoholism.

• The initial assessment included interviews with the boys, their families, and their schools as well as a review of information from public records (e.g., through the criminal justice system, social services, and mental health services).
• We can offer guidance and insight into the recovery process, and will work to provide you with clarity into the steps that lay ahead.
• AA and most other treatment programs generally consider abstinence the only desirable treatment outcome.
• Why do some people drink more than others, and why do people become alcoholics?
• Some people may have difficulty controlling their alcohol consumption, while others may emotionally rely on certain types of food.
• Mental health conditions like anxiety, depression, and PTSD often lead individuals to use alcohol as a coping mechanism, increasing the risk of dependency.

Because both studies have used a multidisciplinary and comprehensive approach, however, they also provide information about the development of alcoholism and related disorders. Longitudinal, prospective studies therefore are better suited for analyzing alcoholism’s development, determining the subjects’ premorbid states, and monitoring alcohol-induced changes. This approach may not always produce reliable results, however, because alcoholism is a chronic disease that changes in its severity and manifestations over time. Cross-sectional studies examine large numbers of subjects of various ages and social backgrounds representative of the general population. Formal treatment, with the exception of attending Alcoholics Anonymous, did not appear to affect the men’s long-term outcomes, whereas several non-treatment-related factors were important for achieving stable recovery.

In most Core City subjects, the progression from social drinking to alcohol abuse and alcohol dependence occurred gradually, generally over a period of 3 to 15 years. For example, an 8-year followup study of relatively young alcoholic prisoners (i.e., average age of 27) found that one-third of the subjects returned to asymptomatic drinking during the study (Goodwin et al. 1971). Because the disease course varies widely among individual alcoholics, longitudinal studies that repeatedly examine the same subjects are especially well suited for investigating patterns of alcohol consumption and the development of alcoholism over time. Thus, although many sociopaths abuse alcohol as part of their antisocial behavior, most alcoholics are not sociopathic except as a result of their addiction.

Underage drinking

Understanding why people become alcoholics requires knowledge of what happens in the brain during addiction. People who start drinking before age 15 are four times more likely to develop alcohol addiction later as adults. The journey from casual drinking to alcoholism is influenced by a complex interplay of genetic, psychological, environmental, and social factors. Recognizing these health risks can encourage people to take the steps necessary to stop excessive drinking. While there is no single cause of alcoholism, social factors and peer pressure play a does drinking alcohol affect your gallbladder significant role in the development of alcohol use disorders (AUDs). While researchers don’t know all the reasons why someone develops AUD, certain factors have been identified, including genetics, drinking at an early age, and mental health conditions.

High-stress careers, financial pressure, or relationship breakdowns can push people toward alcohol as a temporary alcohol intolerance symptoms and causes escape. From parties to business events, alcohol is deeply woven into many social situations. Many people drink to “self-medicate” when therapy or support isn’t accessible. For some, alcohol becomes a way to manage memories or feelings they don’t know how to process. Many people use alcohol as a way to numb deep emotional wounds — including anxiety, grief, loneliness, or trauma. But behind every statistic is a personal story — often shaped by emotional pain, trauma, environment, and mental health struggles.

Most people who develop alcohol use disorder start showing signs in their early twenties, though it can develop at any age. Individual differences in genetics, mental health, stress levels, and social environment all affect how quickly someone might develop alcohol addiction. Unlike having a few drinks at a party or with dinner, alcohol use disorder means that alcohol has become the center of someone’s life. Yes, early exposure to alcohol can disrupt brain development what does an enabler mean and establish unhealthy drinking patterns, increasing the likelihood of developing AUD. Alcoholism is caused by a combination of genetic, psychological, environmental, and social factors, including family history, mental health conditions, stress, and early exposure to alcohol.

The Core City participants included 116 men who met the diagnosis for alcohol abuse and/or dependence at some points in their lives and whose life courses of alcoholism could be charted (figure 2). For example, several studies indicate that about 2 percent of all alcoholics return to stable abstinence each year, with or without receiving treatment. For example, an analysis of eight long-term studies demonstrated that out of 675 alcoholic subjects who were followed for an average of 15 years (until they were approximately 60 years old), only 25 percent were still alcoholic at the end of the studies (Vaillant 1995). Another common finding of longitudinal studies is that the prevalence of alcoholism declines as the subjects age.

Over the past 55 years, two longitudinal studies have been monitoring the drinking behaviors and their consequences of several hundred men from adolescence and early adulthood to old age. However, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) performed a study to categorize different alcoholics to note their similarities. There’s no one way to describe a ‘typical alcoholic’ since alcoholism develops differently from person to person.

Alcohol use disorder can include periods of being drunk (alcohol intoxication) and symptoms of withdrawal. However, even a mild disorder can escalate and lead to serious problems, so early treatment is important. It also includes binge drinking — a pattern of drinking where a male has five or more drinks within two hours or a female has at least four drinks within two hours. Our treatment services are catered toward discovering and implementing solutions for sustained, long-term recovery.

Psychological and Personality Factors

The study included people both in treatment and not seeking treatment. Too much alcohol affects your speech, muscle coordination and vital centers of your brain. Consider talking with someone who has had a problem with drinking but has stopped. Listen to relatives, friends or co-workers when they ask you to examine your drinking habits or to seek help. Because denial is common, you may feel like you don’t have a problem with drinking. Other ways to get help include talking with a mental health professional or seeking help from a support group such as Alcoholics Anonymous or a similar type of self-help group.

It’s a chronic disease marked by an inability to control alcohol consumption. However, these numbers can vary depending on your alcohol tolerance and other biological responses. The good news is they’re more likely to seek treatment than those in other groups at 66%. They also have high rates of cigarette, marijuana, and cocaine addiction. There are many reasons why someone might develop drug and alcohol dependence.