Growing up with strong ties to and a sense of belonging—to a family, to a belief tradition, to a culture—are known to be protective against addiction. A moderate drinker might pair a glass of wine with a meal, while a regular drinker uses alcohol to feel good in general. As increased drinking continues, you become more dependent on alcohol and are at risk of developing alcoholism. 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.
How does alcoholism affect physical health?
Stressful life events, mental health disorders, peer pressure, easy access to alcohol, and normalization of heavy drinking can contribute to its development. Recognizing these factors can help https://ecosoberhouse.com/ address potential risks of alcohol use. Research has shown an increasing link between alcoholism and genetics. [3] In fact, multiple genes are linked to a higher instance of alcoholism.
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- Alcoholism typically develops in a person’s 20s or 30s, however, individuals who start drinking early on in life are more likely to develop alcoholism later on.
- The chemical changes from long term alcohol abuse result in a person developing both physical and psychological dependence.
- Contact a Recovery Advocate today to take the first step toward living an alcohol-free life.
- However, problems usually occur when stress is ongoing, and someone tries to deal with it by consuming more alcohol.
Physical Factors that Cause Alcoholism
Cirrhosis can cause a host of other health problems, including high blood pressure, which can lead to the development of enlarged veins in the esophagus called esophageal varices. These are similar to the varicose veins that some people develop in their legs. But esophageal varices are prone to rupture, and when they do, the alcoholic can bleed to death. Between 90 and 100 percent of alcoholics develop a fatty liver, which can progress to cirrhosis. It’s common at this point for alcoholics to have lost their jobs as well their friends and family. By this stage, their drinking is taking an obvious physical toll as well.
What’s the outlook for a person with alcohol use disorder?
Chronic, heavy alcohol use also wreaks havoc on the brain’s reward system, which can alter the way the brain perceives pleasure and limit a person’s ability to control his or her behavior. Over time, these changes, along with the effects of tolerance and withdrawal, can create a vicious cycle of dependence that keeps the person hooked on alcohol. A trauma-informed counselor can help an individual process their underlying trauma so that they can live a more fulfilling and emotionally healthy life. Additionally, the person receiving treatment can also address their unhealthy drinking behaviors and learn to adapt to triggering situations with more productive coping skills.
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 lifestyle choices such as diet and exercise influenced health outcomes as well. For many, beer, wine, and spirits conjure up thoughts of social gatherings and tipsy fun. But alcohol is a nervous system depressant and easily alters behavior, culminating in some cases in the emotional pain and physical disintegration of alcohol addiction, colloquially known as alcoholism.
Alcohol Dependence
Dr. Wakim co-founded and served as the CEO of Transformations leading to a successful merger with Shore Capital in May 2021. He is purpose driven towards improving the standard of and removing stigma related to behavioral healthcare. Dr. Wakim enjoys golf, traveling and time spent with his two dogs, Lulu and Rayna.
- Around the world and in the U.S., nicotine is the most widely used addictive substance; tobacco causes a reported 40 million deaths worldwide.
- For example, alcohol causes increased release of “pleasure chemicals” in the brain, such as serotonin and dopamine.
- Frequent, uncontrolled alcohol abuse eventually leads to problem drinking.
- Likewise, there is no single identified cause that leads to the development of alcoholism.
If your loved one needs help
Within hours or a few days of having their last drink, people dependent on alcohol will experience alcohol withdrawal symptoms that may include hand tremors, nausea or sweating. 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. The only way to end the suffering and torment that alcohol causes is to seek treatment.
But treatment and support are available to help those suffering begin to heal. For example, alcohol causes increased release of “pleasure chemicals” in the brain, such as serotonin and dopamine. Those susceptible or predisposed to alcoholism may experience higher levels of pleasure compared to the average population.
- According to heritability estimates from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism in 2020, genetics contribute to around 60% of the risk for AUD.
- Someone may also have an undiagnosed mental health issue and use alcohol to deal with it.
- Unfortunately, people who become alcoholics often require professional treatment in order to recover.
Despite the potential dangers to an individual’s health and well-being, these pleasures can be powerful motivators for individuals to continue participating. A report by Stephen Armeli published in the National Library of Medicine in 2015 shows that using alcohol to manage stress can alleviate emotional distress. This results in more negative emotions between doses, leading to feedback encouraging continued alcohol consumption. Over time, repeated alcohol exposure can lead to substantial changes in the brain’s neurochemical balance, enhancing the user’s dependence on alcohol to stimulate these reward pathways. Prolonged alcohol use also affects other neurotransmitters like glutamate and GABA, which are involved in the brain’s reward circuits and stress responses.
Alcohol use disorder affects millions of people, but it often goes undetected. Substance use frequently co-occurs with mental illness, but some research suggests that psychiatrists only treat addiction for around why do people become alcoholics half of the patients who have both mental illness and substance use problems. Alcoholism refers to use of alcohol that results in an individual experiencing significant distress and or dysfunction in daily life.
