Why Do People Become Alcoholics? Causes & Risk Factors
If you’re seeking alcohol rehab services for yourself or a loved one, don’t wait any longer. Contact us today to find out which of our treatment options if right for you. See your doctor whippets balloons if you begin to engage in behaviors that are signs of alcohol use disorder or if you think that you may have a problem with alcohol. You should also consider attending a local AA meeting or participating in a self-help program such as Women for Sobriety. Our team is comprised of doctors, clinicians, therapists, mentors, and recovery coaches with decades of experience in the field.
Genetic, psychological, social and environmental factors can impact how drinking alcohol affects your body and behavior. Theories suggest that for certain people drinking has a different and stronger impact that can lead to alcohol use disorder. 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. Unfortunately, alcoholism wreaks havoc in a person’s and causes suffering for themselves and the people around them.
What Are the Types of Treatment for Alcohol Use Disorder?
We adhere to strict accuracy guidelines and only reference credible sources when providing information on our website. Reviva, Vivitrol Campral, are relatively new drugs that help reduce alcohol cravings, and can also help reduce some people’s desire to consume alcohol. Vivitrol and Revia can help people drink less alcohol even if they don’t want to stop drinking entirely. Many times people find these medications help them to quit drinking for good.
Risk factors
Getting started with addiction treatment may feel intimidating at first. We understand this and are ready to help you on your road to recovery. We can offer guidance and insight into the recovery process, and will work to provide you with clarity into the steps that lay ahead. Mental health issues can cause a void that alcohol appears to fill, creating a sense of relief, comfort or even euphoria.
What Does the Term ‘Alcoholic’ Mean?
Regardless of the type of support system, it’s helpful to get involved in at least one when getting sober. Sober communities can help someone struggling with alcohol addiction deal with the challenges of sobriety in day-to-day life. Sober communities can also share relatable experiences and offer new, healthy friendships. And these communities make the person with an alcohol addiction accountable and provide a place to turn to if there is a relapse. High cortisol levels are linked to stress, depression, and anxiety.
Research has shown an increasing link between alcoholism and genetics. [3] In fact, multiple genes are linked to a higher instance of alcoholism. These genes regulate a person’s ability to metabolize or process alcohol more efficiently, making the subsequent hangovers less severe. The lack of physical consequences felt after binge drinking serves to encourage and perpetuate unhealthy behaviors.
Disulfiram is an older drug that works by causing an adverse reaction to alcohol whenever you drink it. You’ll experience symptoms like nausea, vomiting, and flushing whenever you drink alcohol when on the medication. Labels such as ‘alcoholic’ do nothing to help a person with the disorder get the help they need. To learn more about alcohol treatment liberty cap effects options and search for quality care near you, please visit the NIAAA Alcohol Treatment Navigator. Because denial is common, you may feel like you don’t have a problem with drinking.
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. Environmental factors can also affect a person’s likelihood of developing alcoholism, particularly if they grow up in a home with heavy alcohol use.
- See your doctor if you begin to engage in behaviors that are signs of alcohol use disorder or if you think that you may have a problem with alcohol.
- Getting over alcoholism isn’t easy, but it is possible with a little help.
- They’ll do a physical exam and ask you questions about your drinking habits.
- Similarly, high anxiety levels are known to co-occur with alcoholism, where alcohol is used to self-medicate anxiety symptoms.
Treatment for Alcoholism
Alcohol use disorder can cause serious and lasting damage to your liver. When you drink too much, your liver has a harder time filtering the alcohol and other toxins from your bloodstream. Typically, a diagnosis of alcohol use disorder doesn’t require any other type of diagnostic test.
You can prevent alcohol use disorder by limiting your alcohol intake. According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, women shouldn’t drink more than one drink per day, and men shouldn’t drink more than two drinks per day. Sahil enjoys taking time and listening to better understand what his patients are experiencing. He believes that empathy, respect and trust are integral traits that all providers must possess. He believes in the value of hard work and dedication to overcoming mental illness and will help his patients to achieve their mental health goals. His focus is on helping people who suffer from multiple issues, such as schizophrenia, mood disorders, substance abuse, PTSD, anxiety, depression, OCD, and ADHD.
Your doctor or healthcare provider can diagnose alcohol use disorder. They’ll do a physical exam and ask you questions about your drinking habits. Alcohol use disorder develops when you drink so much that chemical changes in the brain occur. These changes increase the pleasurable feelings you get when you drink alcohol. Alcoholism has been known by a variety of terms, including alcohol abuse and alcohol dependence.
You might not recognize how much you drink or how narcissism and alcoholism many problems in your life are related to alcohol use. Listen to relatives, friends or co-workers when they ask you to examine your drinking habits or to seek help. Consider talking with someone who has had a problem with drinking but has stopped. The Healthline FindCare tool can provide options in your area if you need help finding a mental health specialist. If you’re worried that someone you know has an alcohol addiction, it’s best to approach them in a supportive way. This could push them away and make them more resistant to your help.
The term alcoholic refers to a person with a condition known as alcohol use disorder (AUD). The disorder makes a person who has it experience an intense desire for alcohol even when it adversely affects their health. However, referring to a person with this condition as an alcoholic has negative connotations that can be harmful and hurtful. While many people may use the term “alcoholic” to describe someone who has an alcohol addiction, the term is offensive and outdated. Behavioral treatments—also known as alcohol counseling, or talk therapy, and provided by licensed therapists—are aimed at changing drinking behavior.