10 Common Causes of Alcoholism
Ultimately this can lead to psychological or physical dependence upon alcohol. Some people prefer to try cutting back or quitting on their own before committing time and money to rehab. And there are a few approaches that can identify and combat drinking at an early stage. People can focus on education and support, such as through Alcoholics Anonymous, or take on a sobriety challenge.
Genetics and Environmental Factors
If eligible, we will create a treatment plan tailored to your specific needs. If The Recovery Village is not the right fit for you or your loved one, we will help refer you to a facility that is. Alcohol tolerance is the ability to drink more than one used to in order to get drunk. If there are any concerns about content we have published, please reach out to us at
Chronic Stress and Painful Life Events
As a result, they may abuse substances simply to rebel against the authority figures in their lives. Despite knowing the negative effects drugs can have on their bodies, they choose to ignore this information and fail to accept the reality of the consequences that beset them. Countries all over the world are slowly coming to terms with the prevalence and impacts mental health issues are having on our society. Someone might dread the tossing and turning that comes with insomnia. In doing so, alcohol becomes a pre-emptive armor against perceived threats of pain or judgment.
Behavioral Treatments
The body eventually craves alcohol to restore pleasurable feelings and avoid negative feelings. People who already suffer from high stress or psychological problems such as low self esteem and depression are at higher risk for developing alcoholism. Genes may be an important factor triggering the development of alcoholism.
It affects more men than women and is fatal 10 to 20 percent of the time. The end-stage alcoholic suffers from a host of physical problems, including severe damage to vital organs such as the liver. Alcohol, in fact, is the cause of more than 50 percent of liver-disease related deaths in this country, and alcohol-related liver disease costs more than $3 billion annually. But some people who drink face a risk of developing this chronic and progressive disease, which affects roughly 1 in every 8 Americans and contributes to about 88,000 deaths annually. Grabbing drinks with friends after work or having a few beers on the weekend may be enough at first to provide feelings of relaxation. Over time, an individual may find they need more and more alcohol or different substances to achieve the same feelings.
Alcoholism is a complicated issue, influenced by many genetic, environmental and psychological factors. Understanding the reasons why people struggle with alcoholism is essential for professional treatment providers to know which treatments may be most effective. Drinking has become a socially acceptable behavior in society that sometimes, it can be difficult to determine if a person is suffering from alcohol use disorder. An alcoholic is someone who is physically and mentally dependent on alcohol. When a person who misuses alcohol hasn’t had a drink, their body craves alcohol.
Other than the fact that someone is drinking more than usual, it might be hard to detect that there’s even a problem because outwardly the alcoholic appears normal. Addictive substances like alcohol essentially commandeer the “reward pathway” in your brain. The reward pathway makes mental connections between activity and pleasure.
To learn more about our programs, visit our Addiction Treatment page. Each person that ends up struggling with this form of substance abuse has their own unique story. Between 90 and 100 percent of alcoholics develop a fatty liver, which can progress to cirrhosis. Alcoholics in this stage have a hard time controlling their drinking. They may begin drinking early in the day and plan their day around their drinking. In social situations, they may be unable to stop drinking when others do and find that they can’t handle as much as they previously could without becoming drunk.
Studies have shown shared genetic markers can lead to substance abuse among members of the same family, meaning addiction is a genetic condition that can be passed from parent to child. If someone close to you, such as a parent, has struggled with alcohol or substance abuse, you may carry the same genetic predisposition. Our treatment services are catered toward discovering and implementing solutions for https://sober-home.org/cbd-addiction-is-cannabidiol-cbd-addictive/ sustained, long-term recovery. With the love and support of your family, and loved ones, we make sure to treat your addiction by understanding the root reasons behind it. We do everything in our power to help you succeed in breaking the cycle of addiction, and know that with the right kind of help, everyone is capable of healing. Contact us and we can begin the process of building a life worth living.
Environmental factors can also affect a person’s likelihood of developing alcoholism, particularly if they grow up in a home with heavy alcohol use. Many aspects involve environmental factors, including family history, social relationships and cultural norms. Signs of liver damage present differently based on the underlying cause. In comparison, liver damage caused by hepatitis or other chronic conditions may not present any signs for years. As liver disease progresses, the symptoms become more severe, especially with cirrhosis or liver failure. Above, we mentioned how science tells us that alcoholism is indeed a medical condition.
- Before it becomes problematic, why do people turn to alcohol in the first place?
- A person who misuses alcohol often experiences problems at home, in school, or at work because their drinking problem has caused them to neglect their responsibilities and obligations.
- Over the long or medium term, excessive drinking can significantly alter the levels of these brain chemicals.
Depending on the severity of the alcohol use disorder, this stage can be mildly annoying or severe. Early withdrawal symptoms include headaches, anxiety, nausea, irritability and shaking. Similarly, high anxiety levels are known to co-occur with alcoholism, where alcohol is used to self-medicate anxiety symptoms. Often, those with anxiety disorders drink alcohol to reduce their heightened emotional state and feel more at ease in social situations. However, this can worsen anxiety symptoms or lead to panic attacks over time, creating a cycle that perpetuates anxiety and alcohol addiction.
Slips can be fueled by withdrawal symptoms, mental health challenges, and drug-related cues, such as spending time with old drinking partners or visiting old drinking locations. Stress can play a role in heavy alcohol use as people may drink to escape the pressures of daily life or seek relief from stressors. Any number of traumatic experiences can place a person at risk for developing an alcohol disorder. For example, a military member who had survived a gruesome wartime event may turn to drinking alcohol because they are unable to healthily process their memories. These practices are highly maladaptive and can progress to alcoholism the more a person forms an emotional dependence.
End-stage alcoholics are also at a high risk of dying from accidents, trauma and suicide. When alcohol is not present, individuals may experience uncomfortable symptoms such as restlessness, tremors, headache, nausea, vomiting and insomnia. For approximately 15 million Americans with alcohol use disorder (AUD), that’s a statement of denial. The FHE Health team is committed to providing accurate information that adheres to the highest standards of writing. This is part of our ongoing commitment to ensure FHE Health is trusted as a leader in mental health and addiction care.
This could mean an emphasis on therapy for someone who is depressed, or inpatient treatment for someone with severe withdrawal symptoms. As an addiction tends to get worse over time, it’s important to look for early warning signs. If identified and treated early, someone with an alcohol addiction may be able to avoid major consequences of the disease. Alcohol addiction, also known as alcoholism, is a disease that affects people of all walks of life. Experts have tried to pinpoint factors like genetics, sex, race, or socioeconomics that may predispose someone to alcohol addiction. Psychological, genetic, and behavioral factors can all contribute to having the disease.
Alcohol dependence develops over time and can disrupt the balance of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in the brain and glutamate. GABA controls impulsiveness, while glutamate stimulates the nervous system. Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) or other 12-step programs can offer that social support. Drinking while pregnant can seriously harm the developing fetus, raising the risk of fetal alcohol syndrome, premature birth, and miscarriage.
Researchers are working to pinpoint exactly which genes increase a person’s risk of becoming an alcoholic in order to develop new medications to treat alcoholism. For example, disordered drinking is excessive and often costly, and is commonly referred to as binge drinking. While this may not always meet the clinical criteria to be considered alcohol dependence, these patterns of behavior still pose a significant risk factor to one’s physical or mental health. Being aware of the risk factors for alcoholism helps to identify if you or a loved one are more susceptible to alcoholism. However, even with this awareness many people still become alcoholics.
Alcohol consumption was also linked to a greater risk for stroke, coronary disease, heart failure, and fatally high blood pressure. However, it’s difficult to discern if drinking was the primary problem, or whether https://sober-home.org/ lifestyle choices such as diet and exercise influenced health outcomes as well. Like all addictions, alcohol use disorder is linked to a complex combination of biological, social, and psychological factors.
The affects can range from dementia and intellectual functioning to debilitating conditions that require long-term care, even if a person has been sober for a period of time. Heavy alcohol consumption has been linked to more than 60 different diseases. At this point, it’s obvious to those close to you that you’re struggling. You might miss work, forget to pick up the kids, become irritable, and notice physical signs of alcohol abuse (facial redness, weight gain or loss, sluggishness, stomach bloating). Support groups can be a highly effective form of help at this stage.
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. If the drinking world is conceptualized as a spectrum, normal social drinking is one on end (a few drinks per month, almost always in a social context) and alcohol use disorder is on the other end. But there’s a large gray area in the middle, in which drinking can cause problems for someone’s health, job, or loved ones, but not to a clinical extent. An example would be a father who falls asleep on the couch after having several drinks three or four days a week, missing out on time with his kids and wife. Another would be a college student who repeatedly has trouble making it to class because she was drunk the night before. These individuals, sometimes called “almost alcoholics,” may not see the connection at first but would often benefit from help and support.
Because alcoholism is a chronic disease and alcohol relapse is common, persistence is a necessity — but success is achievable. Because of the severity of the disease, medically monitored alcohol detox is a necessity. Between 3 and 5 percent of people withdrawing from alcohol develop grand mal seizures and severe confusion, known as delirium tremens. Delirium tremens symptoms typically begins about three days after other withdrawal symptoms start. It usually lasts for between two and three days, and it can be fatal. While end-stage alcoholism is a dire situation, it’s not a hopeless one.
