Alcoholism why

Seeking professional help will provide you with the greatest chance for lasting sobriety. If you or a loved one is struggling with an alcohol use disorder, help is only a phone call away.

Contact a treatment provider now to learn about available treatment options. Alcohol use disorder AUD can stem from different factors. After a long period of drinking, your brain begins to rely on alcohol to produce certain chemicals. This is what makes it difficult for heavy drinkers to quit and can cause uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms. Several of the most common causes of alcoholism are: biological factors, environmental factors, social factors and psychological factors.

Research has shown a close link between alcoholism and biological factors, particularly genetics and physiology. While some individuals can limit the amount of alcohol they consume, others feel a strong impulse to keep going.

For some, alcohol gives off feelings of pleasure, encouraging the brain to repeat the behavior. Repetitive behavior like this can make you more vulnerable to developing alcoholism. There are also certain chemicals in the brain that can make you more susceptible to alcohol abuse. For instance, scientists have indicated that alcohol dependence may be associated with up to 51 genes in various chromosome regions.

If these genes are passed down through generations, family members are much more prone to developing drinking problems. In recent years, studies have explored a possible connection between your environment and risk of AUD.

People who live closer to alcohol establishments are said to have a more positive outlook on drinking and are more likely to participate in the activity. Additionally, alcohol manufacturers are bombarding the general public with advertisements.

Many of these ads show drinking as an acceptable, fun and relaxing pastime. In just four decades — between and — alcohol advertising in the United States increased by more than percent. Another environmental factor, income, can also play a role in the amount of alcohol a person consumes. Contrary to popular belief, individuals who come from affluent neighborhoods are more likely to drink than those living below poverty. Your culture, religion, family and work influence many of your behaviors, including drinking.

Children who are exposed to alcohol abuse from an early age are more at risk of falling into a dangerous drinking pattern. Starting college or a new job can also make you more susceptible to alcoholism. Different psychological factors may increase the chances of heavy drinking. Every person handles situations in their own unique way. However, how you cope with these feelings can impact certain behavioral traits.

For example, people with high stress, anxiety, depression and other mental health conditions are more vulnerable to developing alcoholism. In these types of circumstances, alcohol is often used to suppress feelings and relieve the symptoms of psychological disorders. Over time, drinking can become habitual and lead to an AUD. The more you turn to alcohol to ease feelings of pain and hardship, the more your body becomes tolerant to the drug and relies on its effects.

Co-occurring alcohol abuse and mental health conditions, like depression, bipolar and schizophrenia, can cause an array of serious side effects. In order to overcome these issues, each one should be treated separately by a medical specialist. Roughly 43 percent of Americans have been exposed to alcoholism in the family. An estimated one-third of alcohol abusers report experiencing a mental illness. There are many risk factors involved in the potential for developing alcoholism.

Alcoholism risk factors do not mean you will develop a drinking problem; however, they should serve as a prevention measure. If you have one or more risk factors, talk with a medical health professional about alcoholism warning signs and prevention resources. Experimenting with alcohol at a young age can lead to problems later on in life, especially in your 20s and 30s. This is especially true when adolescents engage in frequent binge drinking.

At this point, their reward system has become pathological, or in other words, diseased. For more mental health resources, see our National Helpline Database. Even if they can resist drug or alcohol use for a while, at some point the constant craving triggered by the many cues in their life may erode their resolve, resulting in a return to substance use, or relapse," said the report.

Compounding the problem is the progressive nature of the disease. In its early stages, taking one or two drinks may be all it takes to get the "song" to stop.

But soon it takes six or seven and later maybe ten or twelve. Somewhere down the road, the only time the song stops is when he passes out. The progression of the disease is so subtle and usually takes place over such an extended period of time, that even the alcoholic himself failed to notice the point at which he lost control — and alcohol took over — his life. No wonder denial is an almost universal symptom of the disease. For those who have come to the realization that they do have a problem, help may be as close as the white pages of the telephone directory.

But for those who need help and do not want it, there is hope. Do you have a drinking problem? You may want to take the Alcohol Abuse Screening Quiz to see how you compare. Learn the best ways to manage stress and negativity in your life.

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I Accept Show Purposes. A mental obsession can be defined as a thought process over which you have no control. What Is Alcohol Use Disorder. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Sign Up. What are your concerns? Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles.

Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. For example, you recognize that your alcohol use is damaging your marriage, making your depression worse, or causing health problems, but you continue to drink anyway.

While someone with alcoholism will tend to drink every day, others confine their drinking to short but heavy bursts. Binge drinking is often associated with young adults and college students who drink heavily at parties and then abstain for the rest of the week. However, plenty of older adults also binge drink, especially those over Binge drinking is defined as drinking so much that your blood alcohol level reaches the legal limit of intoxication within a couple of hours.

For men, that means consuming five or more drinks within about two hours, and for women, four or more drinks within a similar period. These levels can be easy to hit if you sink shots, play drinking games, drink cocktails containing multiple servings of alcohol, or otherwise lose track of your intake.

Other indication that you may have a binge-drinking problem include drinking excessively at weekends, holidays, and special occasions, frequently drinking more than you planned, and often forgetting what you said or did while drinking. Binge drinking can have many of the same long-term effects on your health, relationships, and finances as other types of problem drinking.

Binge drinking can lead to reckless behavior such as violence, having unprotected sex, and driving under the influence. Binge drinking can also lead to alcohol poisoning, a serious and sometimes deadly condition. Consuming too much alcohol, too quickly, can slow your breathing and heart rate, lower your body temperature, and cause confusion, vomiting, seizures, unconsciousness, and even death. Denial is one of the biggest obstacles to getting help for alcohol abuse and alcoholism.

The desire to drink is so strong that the mind finds many ways to rationalize drinking, even when the consequences are obvious. By keeping you from looking honestly at your behavior and its negative effects, denial also exacerbates alcohol-related problems with work, finances, and relationships. While work, relationship, and financial stresses happen to everyone, an overall pattern of deterioration and blaming others may be a sign of trouble.

But you are deceiving yourself if you think that your drinking hurts no one else but you. Alcoholism affects everyone around you—especially the people closest to you. Your problem is their problem. Fact: Alcoholism is NOT defined by what you drink, when you drink it, or even how much you drink. If your drinking is causing problems in your home or work life, you have a drinking problem—whether you drink daily or only on the weekends, down shots of tequila or stick to wine, drink three bottles of beers a day or three bottles of whiskey.

Many alcoholics are able to hold down jobs, get through school, and provide for their families. Some are even able to excel. Over time, the effects will catch up with you.

Fact: Alcohol is a drug, and alcoholism is every bit as damaging as drug addiction. Alcohol addiction causes changes in the body and brain, and long-term alcohol abuse can have devastating effects on your health, your career, and your relationships. Alcoholics go through physical withdrawal when they stop drinking, just like drug users experience when they quit. It takes tremendous strength and courage to face alcohol abuse and alcoholism head on.

Reaching out for support is the second step. Whether you choose to go to rehab, rely on self-help programs, get therapy, or take a self-directed treatment approach , support is essential.

Recovering from alcohol addiction is much easier when you have people you can lean on for encouragement, comfort, and guidance. Those problems could include depression , an inability to manage stress , an unresolved trauma from your childhood, or any number of mental health issues.

But you will be in a healthier position to finally address them and seek the help you need. Admitting a loved one has a problem with alcohol can be painful for the whole family, not just the person drinking. There is help and support available for both you and your loved one. The choice is up to them.

You may also benefit from joining a group such as Al-Anon, a free peer support group for families coping with alcoholism. Listening to others with the same challenges can serve as a tremendous source of comfort and support.

Discovering your child is drinking can generate fear, confusion, and anger in parents. Explain your concerns and make it clear that your concern comes from a place of love.

Lay down rules and consequences: Your teen should understand that drinking alcohol comes with specific consequences. Encourage other interests and social activities. Expose your teen to healthy hobbies and activities, such as team sports, Scouts, and after-school clubs. Talk to your child about underlying issues. Drinking can result from other problems. Is your child having trouble fitting in?

Has there been a recent major change, like a move or divorce, which is causing stress? Whether you want to cut back or stop drinking altogether, there are plenty of steps you can take to help yourself regain control of both your drinking and your life.

Read: Overcoming Alcohol Addiction. Substance-Related and Addictive Disorders. American Psychiatric Association.