Navigation: What is Substance Abuse, Alcohol Addiction, and Alcohol Dependence?, Why Do Alcoholics Drink?, They Want to Forget their Problems, They Live in a Toxic Home Environment, They Are Working in an Industry that is Prone to Alcohol Use, They Are Experiencing Peer Pressure,
They Want to Have Fun, They Have Easy Access to Alcohol, They Have a Genetic Predisposition to Drinking, They Were Affected By Alcohol’s Brain-Altering Effects, They Want to Avoid Withdrawal Symptoms, They Want to Deal with a Co-Occurring Mental Health Disorder, They Recovered But Relapsed, Treatment for Alcohol Abuse and Addiction
Some people can drink alcohol during a special occasion and then go for months or even years without it. But this is not the case for people with alcoholism. Alcoholism, also known as alcohol use disorder (AUD) or alcohol addiction is a medical condition in which a person has no control over their intake.
Addicted individuals will keep on drinking even if they are already experiencing its health effects and other consequences. It is characterized by the compulsive intake of alcohol. A person who is addicted to alcohol will prioritize it over everything else. Their days will revolve around acquiring and consuming alcohol. They may begin to lose interest in things they used to enjoy or even begin to neglect their responsibilities. Even if they want to quit, they may not be able to succeed.
There is still a stigma surrounding alcohol addiction and alcoholism, which is why a lot of people hesitate to seek treatment. Some people view alcoholism as a moral failure rather than a serious medical condition that requires treatment.
While there is an element of choice at the beginning stages of alcoholism, the condition itself is not a choice. There are a lot of factors that go into a person’s likelihood of abusing alcohol and developing an AUD.
With this in mind, it is important to discuss one of the most common questions surrounding the condition: “why do alcoholics drink?”
Remember: anyone can develop alcoholism regardless of age, race, gender, etc. This is why we need to talk about the reasons behind it. Let’s take a closer look.
What is Substance Abuse, Alcohol Addiction, and Alcohol Dependence?
Before we get into the reasons why alcoholics drink, let’s talk about the condition itself. Alcoholism is often described as the most severe form of alcohol abuse. Alcohol abuse is a form of substance abuse, although the latter term is also used to talk about drug abuse.
Alcohol use disorders are chronic conditions, meaning they cannot be cured. It cannot be prevented by vaccines or cured by medicine. But just like other chronic medical conditions, it can be treated successfully. Even people with alcohol addiction can live a long, healthy, and sober life.
Alcohol addiction and alcohol dependence are two terms that are often used interchangeably. However, there is actually a difference. Alcohol addiction refers to the compulsive need to drink. On the other hand, alcohol dependence is when the body has adapted to alcohol’s constant presence to the point where it can no longer function “normally” without it.
If a person is alcohol dependent and they attempt to quit or reduce their intake, they will go through withdrawal. A person can be alcohol dependent without being addicted, but this usually means addiction is about to develop.
In both cases, the person struggles to control their drinking habits. In order to function on a daily basis, they need to engage in daily drinking.
Alcohol use disorders do not just affect the individual. It can also affect the people around them, including their family members and friends. Addiction affects relationships and causes many other problems throughout every aspect of the person’s life. It’s easy to see how someone can get overwhelmed by their condition and feel hopeless.
Fighting alcoholism is a lifelong battle. The person has to stop binge drinking, address a family history of alcoholism, deal with anxiety and other mental health conditions, and face many challenges in the recovery process. But it all starts with gaining an understanding of the motivations behind drinking and problematic alcohol consumption.
Why Do Alcoholics Drink?
For those who are looking to recover from their alcohol use disorder, it may be useful to know exactly why you keep drinking.
Just like how addiction can have different effects on different people, alcoholics also have different reasons for drinking and developing alcoholism. Truth is, there isn’t one particular reason why people drink. There is no one-size-fits-all answer.
Alcoholics drink for different reasons. Some of these reasons are personal, while others have something to do with the people around them or their circumstances. Here we will explore each of them.
They Want to Forget their Problems
This is one of the most common reasons for drinking. People use alcohol to forget their problems even just for a little while.
Stress is a common motivator for alcohol abuse and is a big reason for why alcoholics drink. People who experience high amounts of stress on a regular basis are more likely to drink in order to cope. Alcohol can relax you and make you feel uninhibited, which helps alleviate negative feelings. It can even lower your anxiety levels for a short time.
People may choose to drink to forget about past experiences and trauma.
They Live in a Toxic Home Environment
Stress can come from different sources—including your own home. A toxic home environment can be stressful to deal with because you are constantly exposed to it. A person’s environment growing up can shape their relationship with alcohol. Some people view alcohol as a solution to their problems because they saw their parents drinking.
Some people grow up drinking because they want to rebel or defy the rules of their household. This is especially common among teenagers. Adolescence tends to be a risk factor because teenagers are highly impressionable.
Other environment-related factors can further push a person into an unhealthy drinking pattern. Seeing TV advertisements, shows, and movies about alcohol can glamorize drinking.
They Are Working in an Industry that is Prone to Alcohol Use
Speaking of toxic environments, your career choice may make you more or less prone to alcohol use disorders.
According to a report by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) based on data collected by the National Surveys on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), an average of 8.7% of full-time workers consumed large amounts of alcohol from the years 2008 to 2012.
The industries that had the highest rates of heavy alcohol use within the past month are mining (17.5%), construction (16.5%), food service (11.8%), art and entertainment (11.5%), and utility services (10.3%).
On the other hand, the industries that had the lowest rates of heavy drinkers are: healthcare (4.4%), education (4.7%), public administration (6.6%), finance (7.4%) and professional, scientific, and technical services (7.7%).
First responders like firemen, policemen, military members, and EMTs are also good examples of professions that are constantly exposed to high levels of stress and danger. This is why drinking alcohol is commonplace in these industries. It’s a way for them to bond, reduce stress, and cope with physical or mental ailments caused by their profession. Unfortunately, this also leads to drinking problems and alcoholism.
They Are Experiencing Peer Pressure
A person’s relationships could also be a factor in the development of alcoholism. You may want to drink in order to bond with colleagues and not feel out of place. This is a form of peer pressure.
Peer pressure is when you feel like you have to do something that you wouldn’t do otherwise simply because the people around you are telling you to. This can happen to anyone, especially if you are being influenced by someone you admire or want to please.
However, peer pressure is more commonly associated with teenagers and adolescents because they are still navigating their social lives and figuring things out. They may feel pressure from friends, classmates, or even just acquaintances. A lot of teenagers are afraid of not fitting in or being rejected by their friends. This makes them more vulnerable to peer pressure.
Teens in general are also more likely to ignore the risks associated with binge drinking, heavy alcohol consumption, and other risky behavior.
Teenagers may give in and start drinking because their friends are encouraging them to. Just keep in mind that it can also happen to adults. If your work culture involves drinking regularly with co-workers, you may be pressured into drinking just to fit in.
According to the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse, 75% of surveyed teens at Columbia University felt encouraged to drink after seeing pictures on social media of their friends partying. This means peer pressure can even come from social media.
Peer pressure may happen directly or indirectly, but the effect is just the same. You will be motivated to drink just because others are doing it.
They Want to Have Fun
Not all the causes of alcoholism are environmental or social. In fact, not all of it is caused by stress either. Sometimes people drink just because they want to have fun. After all, it is the social norm to drink occasionally especially if there is an event or a cause for celebration. Alcohol is the most widely used substance in the world.
Some people drink because it’s a way for them to relax, let loose, and enjoy the company of others. It reduces anxiety and makes you less inhibited, which helps in a social setting.
Alcohol is common in parties, raves, nightclubs, barbecues, weddings, etc. People drink because it makes them feel happy. For a group of friends, this can be a fun experience.
Drinking alcohol is perfectly normal. It is only when you abuse it that it becomes problematic. When you begin to forget your limitations, that is when alcohol use becomes a drinking problem.
They Have Easy Access to Alcohol
There’s no doubt that alcohol can make you feel good. But part of the reason why so many people drink is because of its accessibility. Alcohol is easily accessible to adults. You can readily find them in most supermarkets.
On top of that, alcoholic products tend to receive plenty of advertising, which leads to higher consumption rates. The visibility of alcohol in media contributes to society’s positive attitude towards drinking. It’s ironic since people who develop alcoholism tend to face harsh judgment from their peers due to the stigma of addiction.
Adolescents who have easy access to alcohol have a significantly higher risk of developing problematic drinking behavior. Having access to alcohol means teenagers can drink at their early age, which studies have determined is a risk factor for alcoholism. People who start drinking at an early age have a higher chance of developing alcoholism later in life.
Limiting accessibility actually reduces alcohol consumption effectively. For example, raising the price of alcohol by 10% can reduce alcohol consumption by 7%.
They Have a Genetic Predisposition to Drinking
Some people have personal reasons for drinking. In some people, alcoholism is embedded into their genes. According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) there is a 40 to 60% difference in terms of the risk of AUD between someone who has a genetic predisposition to it and someone who does not.
The study also showed that specific genes contribute to the development of alcoholism. These genes have something to do with the brain’s reward center. For example, some people are able to metabolize alcohol in a way that brings them more pleasure from drinking—and it’s due to their genes. Because of the increased euphoric sensation, they feel more motivated to drink than the average person.
On the other hand, some people have genes that cause them to have increased symptoms from alcohol like nausea, flushing, mood swings, palpitations, etc. This makes them more likely to stay away from alcohol.
People who have a family history of alcohol use disorders are more likely to develop the condition themselves. But just like other risk factors, they do not determine whether or not someone will become addicted. It only shows how much risk a person has of developing alcoholism.
They Were Affected By Alcohol’s Brain-Altering Effects
We’ve listed some reasons why people drink alcohol. But there is a deeper reason as to why some people keep drinking despite the adverse health effects and all the problems that come with addiction.
Alcohol addiction is not a choice. When you drink, regardless of the reason, alcohol changes your brain. We know that it changes the levels of brain chemicals, but over time, alcohol can even change the brain itself.
Alcohol abuse affects the brain’s capacity to regulate moods, control emotions, handle stress, and make decisions. If you drink in the long term, your brain may stop producing enough dopamine. This is why alcoholics struggle to feel good without drinking alcohol. Activities that used to bring them joy are no longer enough.
Excessive drinking also disrupts the balance of the brain’s neurotransmitters, increasing gaba-aminobutyric acid, or GABA, which is supposed to suppress the central nervous system. This chemical imbalance makes the person feel good but hinders their ability to process information. This results in continued alcohol abuse since the person wants to drink more to keep feeling euphoric.
Long-term alcohol abuse causes the brain to adapt to this state of chemical imbalance. This means the person now has to drink more alcohol just to experience the same effects. Whenever they are not drinking, they go through withdrawal.
They Want to Avoid Withdrawal Symptoms
Speaking of withdrawal, a lot of people with alcoholism experience withdrawal symptoms ranging from mild to severe every time they reduce their intake or try to quit drinking. This, coupled with intense cravings, often leads to relapse. Instead of dealing with the uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms, they would just keep drinking.
Quitting alcohol cold turkey when you are dependent on it is actually a bad idea since alcohol withdrawal symptoms can be life-threatening. It is recommended that you go through a proper medical detox program in order to gradually lower your intake while your withdrawal symptoms are managed by health care experts. This is the safest way to detox from alcohol dependence.
Alcohol withdrawal symptoms may vary from one person to another. Common withdrawal symptoms include: irritability, mood swings, sweating, headaches, tremors, anxiety, depression, nausea, and vomiting. In more severe cases, alcohol withdrawal can cause fever, seizures, hallucinations, and high blood pressure.
Alcohol withdrawal symptoms can even be fatal. It is best that you visit a rehab center and ask about their detox program. They will most likely have some form of treatment for alcohol dependence. A lot of programs use medications to keep the patient stable by keeping cravings at bay and managing withdrawal symptoms.
They Want to Deal with a Co-Occurring Mental Health Disorde
Addiction and mental health have a close relationship. Some patients who have a substance use disorder develop mental health conditions like depression and anxiety as a result. But on the other hand, some people who have a mental health disorder turn to alcohol in order to self-medicate and deal with their symptoms.
Research suggests that people who drink are more likely to develop mental health problems. It also goes the other way around. People with a mental health condition are more likely to develop a drinking problem.
Heavy drinking is linked to depression. A lot of people struggling with depression use alcohol to cope with their symptoms. Interestingly, some people with depression report that their symptoms started improving after a few weeks of quitting alcohol. Alcohol can make depression worse, especially if you drink while taking antidepressants.
Alcohol is also linked to anxiety. As we know, alcohol gives you a short-lived feeling of relaxation. It lowers your inhibitions and makes you feel less anxious. But this feeling also disappears quickly so you cannot rely on it if you have an anxiety disorder. Try different methods to relax like yoga, meditation, exercise, or anything you enjoy.
It doesn’t matter which one comes first. But dual diagnoses are very common due to this connection. Although one doesn’t always lead to the other, it is likely for these two conditions to co-occur. This is why there are dual diagnosis treatment centers that specialize in handling these complicated situations.
It is not enough to deal with alcohol addiction alone. You have to address the underlying mental health conditions in order to make a lasting impact on the person’s health.
They Recovered But Relapsed
Relapse is when a person who has gone through a period of abstinence falls back into their old ways and starts drinking again. Some people may slip up and drink once and then maintain their sobriety. Some people lapse and drink several times. But a full-blown relapse is when you go back to heavy drinking and lose control over your intake again.
A relapse is actually common in the world of addiction treatment. It is considered a normal part of the recovery process since many people relapse even after going through rehab. Alcoholism is a chronic condition after all, so treating it is a lifelong journey. It is normal to relapse. It is not a sign of weakness or failure: it only means more work needs to be done so that the patient learns how to maintain their sobriety.
Rehab programs are designed with relapse prevention in mind. During treatment you will learn various coping strategies that you can use in order to stay sober even after you leave rehab. But life outside of rehab comes with many challenges that will put your sobriety to the test. This means it is also important to recognize triggers and stressors so that you can plan a specific course of action.
Think of relapse as just another setback in the journey towards lasting sobriety. The longer you stay abstinent after leaving rehab, the lower the chance of you relapsing.
Treatment for Alcohol Abuse and Addiction
In order to stop drinking alcohol for good, you need to go through proper addiction treatment.
Some rehab centers specialize in treating alcoholism and alcohol use disorder. They will often use a combination of medical detox and behavioral therapy to get the patient’s condition under control. Detox will help the person get sober while therapy will help them stay sober.
It’s not just about addressing the physical effects of alcoholism, it’s also about addressing the root causes of addictive behavior. A therapist or counselor will get into all the reasons why the person is drinking excessively. This will help the patient face these issues and learn healthy coping mechanisms.
Aftercare is also an important part of treatment. Even after leaving rehab, the patient can still attend 12-step meetings and support groups to help them deal with the sober life.
Look for an alcohol addiction treatment facility near you today and learn more about your treatment options. The journey to a sober life begins today.
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