Causes of Addiction
Why is it that some people can drink socially and not become addicted while others become alcoholics? The reason has to do with a combination of genetic, physiological, psychological and social factors. Treatment for alcohol use disorder varies depending on the severity of your symptoms and how long the condition has persisted. The most common treatment options for people with the condition include the following listed below. 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.
Treating alcohol abuse
Having an impulsive personality plays into the decision to seek rewards despite negative repercussions. Another factor is stress, because alcohol can alleviate distressing emotions. Social how to detox from marijuana in 2023 norms, such as drinking during a happy hour or on a college campus, and positive experiences with alcohol in the past (as opposed to getting nauseous or flushed) play a role as well.
What are resources for treating alcoholism?
- Medications also can help deter drinking during times when individuals may be at greater risk of a return to drinking (e.g., divorce, death of a family member).
- Many times people find these medications help them to quit drinking for good.
- Alcohol often serves as a mild anesthesia, providing temporary relief from life’s stings, be it the numbing of a painful memory, dampening the anxiety of social interactions, or drowning the whispers of self-doubt.
- The only way to end the suffering and torment that alcohol causes is to seek treatment.
Ultimately, alcoholism develops as a result of genetic, environmental, and psychological factors. However, some people don’t experience any risk factors yet still have a drinking problem. That being said, let’s take a look at some of the most common reasons why people get addicted to alcohol. Instead, research indicates that it is more related to what else is, or isn’t, going on in a person’s life that makes the sensation a substance induces so attractive. Although nobody purposefully becomes an alcoholic, millions of people battle alcohol use disorder. This eventually has negative impacts on brain chemistry leading to addiction.
Preemptive Coping: Alcohol as Protective Armor
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. Like all addictions, alcohol use disorder is linked to a complex combination of biological, social, and psychological factors. Research highlights a genetic component to the disorder, as about half of one’s predisposition to alcoholism can be attributed to genetic makeup.
We often only see troubled behavior, like the cat getting into the trash at night or the drinkers who continue to drink despite doctors’ warnings, partners’ ultimatums, or loved ones’ pleas. We don’t realize that there is often an earnest desire for joy or relief behind each pour. They’re cultivated over time through observations and external influences. Think about how often we see people in movies or on TV having a great time with a drink in their hand. These scenes stick with us, associating drinking with fun and friendship.
This genetic component makes people with alcoholics in the family, especially alcoholic parents, significantly more likely to suffer from alcohol use disorder. Treatment for alcoholism addresses the common risk factors to reverse old behaviors that led to alcoholism and instill new ones that promote sobriety. This includes inpatient treatment at an accredited addiction treatment center. Programs are usually 30 days long and during this time individuals suffering from alcoholism will receive the care and support they need to start their journey to sobriety. A few empirically validated practices can help identify strong treatment programs.
If these drinking patterns become a habit, individuals may struggle to socialize with others without drinking or feel as though they need to drink in order to be accepted. All of these factors that stem from drinking at an early age can increase a person’s risk of becoming an alcoholic. However, in addition to chronic drinking, there are many components that make one person more likely to abuse alcohol than another. While having one or more of these risk factors puts an individual at a higher risk of developing alcohol use disorder, being aware of them can help prevent engaging in unhealthy behaviors that lead to alcoholism.
Furthermore, you may become dependent on the feeling you get from drinking and find that these episodes increase in frequency. The first stage of alcoholism is a general experimentation with alcohol. These drinkers may be new to different forms of alcohol and likely to test their limits. But when alcohol consumption gets out of gabapentin withdrawal control, you may find yourself on a dangerous path toward addiction. 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.
A number of these therapies, including cognitive-behavioral coping skills treatment and motivational enhancement therapy, were developed by psychologists. Additional therapies include 12-Step facilitation approaches that assist those with drinking problems in using self-help programs such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). In addition to ongoing mental health support, enhancing an individual’s “recovery resources” is also important. Providing education, job training and employment connections, supportive housing, physical activity, and social integration in families and the community can all help individuals stay in remission. Research in animals shows that having more self-determination and control over one’s environment can help facilitate adaptive brain changes after ending substance use. Some people may be hesitant to seek treatment because they don’t want to abstain entirely.
Many times people find these medications help them to quit drinking for good. A person with AUD can lose control over the amount of alcohol they consume and continue to drink despite any adverse health, social or occupational consequences. If you’re worried that someone you know has an alcohol addiction, it’s best to approach them in a supportive way.
Heavy drinking can cause physiological changes that make more drinking the only way to avoid discomfort. Individuals with alcohol dependence may drink partly to reduce or avoid withdrawal symptoms. For many people, drinking alcohol is nothing more than a pleasant way to relax.
There are many risk factors for addiction, from individual factors such as stress tolerance and personality makeup to social factors such as friendships and educational and job opportunities. But what addiction may come down to for everyone is the emotional and physical appeal of a substance at a particular moment in a person’s life. Psychologists can also diagnose and treat these “co-occurring” psychological conditions. Further, a psychologist may play an important role in coordinating the services a drinker in treatment receives from various health professionals. Alcoholism, also known as alcohol use disorder, is a complex condition caused by a combination of genetic, environmental, and psychological factors.
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, 2c-b guide 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.
Relationships may deteriorate, as their social circle narrows to other drug or alcohol users. Their work may decline as well, and they may lose a spiritual or religious practice they once valued. For many, beer, wine, and spirits conjure up thoughts of social gatherings and tipsy fun.
In the beginning stages of alcoholism, drinking escalates and the individual develops an increased tolerance for alcohol. Those biological changes pave the way for the second stage, which is marked by a physical dependence on the drug. Drinking at this point isn’t about feeling good — it’s about not feeling bad and avoiding the uncomfortable sensations that accompany acute withdrawal. Physiologically, alcohol alters the balance of chemicals in the brain. It affects chemicals in the brain’s reward center, such as dopamine. The body eventually craves alcohol to restore pleasurable feelings and avoid negative feelings.
