Alcoholism: Causes, Risk Factors, and Symptoms (2024)

FAQs

What are the causes and effects of alcoholism? ›

Typically, alcoholism is caused by a combination of genetic and environmental influences. This form of addiction usually causes damage to a person's mental, physical, and emotional health, and will require professional help to overcome.

Known Specific Risk Factors

Consuming more than 15 drinks per week for men or 12 drinks per week for women. Binge drinking (consuming more than 5 or more drinks in a 2-hour period for men or 4 or more drinks in a 2-hour period for women). Having a biological family member with alcoholism or drug addiction.

Several of the most common causes of alcoholism are: biological factors, environmental factors, social factors and psychological factors. Here's a breakdown of how each one plays a role in the development of alcohol abuse.

High blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, liver disease, and digestive problems. Cancer of the breast, mouth, throat, esophagus, voice box, liver, colon, and rectum. Weakening of the immune system, increasing the chances of getting sick. Learning and memory problems, including dementia and poor school performance.

Alcohol abuse may worsen some health problems like diabetes, osteoporosis, memory loss, high blood pressure and mood disorders. It may also increase the likelihood of accidents such as falls and fractures.

Alcohol affects the part of your brain that controls inhibition, so you may feel relaxed, less anxious, and more confident after a drink. But these effects quickly wear off. The chemical changes in your brain can soon lead to more negative feelings, such as anger, depression or anxiety, regardless of your mood.

How can you avoid the risk of being an alcoholic? ›

What is alcoholism? Alcoholism is the most serious form of problem drinking at a level that causes harm to your health. It describes a strong, often uncontrollable, desire to drink. Alcoholism is also known as alcohol addiction or alcohol dependence.

The 4 types of alcohol are isopropyl alcohol, methyl alcohol, undistilled ethanol, and distilled ethanol. Alcohol is the primary active ingredient in some of the most popular drinks on the planet.

In chemistry, an alcohol exists when a hydroxyl group, a pair of oxygen and hydrogen atoms, replaces the hydrogen atom in a hydrocarbon. Alcohols bind with other atoms to create secondary alcohols. These secondary alcohols are the three types of alcohol that humans use every day: methanol, isopropanol, and ethanol.

For men, binge drinking is 5 or more drinks consumed on one occasion. Underage drinking: Any alcohol use by those under age 21. Heavy drinking: For women, heavy drinking is 8 drinks or more per week. For men, heavy drinking is 15 drinks or more per week.

(...uh-BYOOS) The use of illegal drugs or the use of prescription or over-the-counter drugs for purposes other than those for which they are meant to be used, or in excessive amounts. Drug abuse may lead to social, physical, emotional, and job-related problems.

Who is affected by alcohol? ›

Regardless of your age, ethnicity, religion, profession, or daily activities, alcohol can severely impact every corner of your life. Even more, Alcoholism is a disease that affects many people, not just the one addicted. Families, friends, and entire communities feel the impact.

Alcohol primarily disrupts the ability to form new long–term memories; it causes less disruption of recall of previously established long–term memories or of the ability to keep new information active in short–term memory for a few seconds or more.

The cardiovascular system is affected by alcohol. At the time of drinking, alcohol can cause a temporary increase in heart rate and blood pressure. In the long-term, drinking above the guidelines can lead to on-going increased heart rate, high blood pressure, weakened heart muscle and irregular heartbeat.

A few of the more dangerous societal effects of alcoholism include increased injuries to self, aggression against others, violent crimes, child abuse, spouse abuse and traffic fatalities.

Alcohol abuse can cause signs and symptoms of depression, anxiety, psychosis, and antisocial behavior, both during intoxication and during withdrawal. At times, these symptoms and signs cluster, last for weeks, and mimic frank psychiatric disorders (i.e., are alcohol–induced syndromes).

Individual-level risk factors may include a person's genetic predisposition to addiction or exposure to alcohol prenatally. Individual-level protective factors might include positive self-image, self-control, or social competence.

Preventing Excessive Alcohol Use

It is linked to over 200 diseases and injuries, resulting in 3.3 million deaths globally each year. About 261 Americans die each day from excessive alcohol use. Excessive alcohol consumption can lead to alcohol use disorders.

When should you stop drinking alcohol? ›

People Who Shouldn't Drink At All

The Guidelines note that some people should not drink alcohol at all, such as: If they are pregnant or might be pregnant. If they are younger than age 21. If they have certain medical conditions or are taking certain medications that can interact with alcohol.

Work to change community attitudes about underage drinking. Focus as much community attention on underage drinking as on tobacco and drug use. Work with State, Tribal, and local groups to reduce underage drinking. Make it easier for young people who are involved with or at risk for underage drinking to get help.

Disruption of normal growth or sexual development. Physical and sexual violence. Increased risk of suicide and homicide. Alcohol-related motor vehicle crashes and other unintentional injuries, such as burns, falls, or drowning.

If you or your loved ones need help to identify the signs of problem drinking, four stages of alcoholism have been identified: pre-alcoholic, early alcoholic, chronic alcoholic, and end-stage alcoholism.

Family factors, such as parent-child relationships, discipline methods, communication, monitoring and supervision, and parental involvement, can significantly influence alcohol use among youth (Bry et al.

High blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, liver disease, and digestive problems. Cancer of the breast, mouth, throat, esophagus, voice box, liver, colon, and rectum. Weakening of the immune system, increasing the chances of getting sick. Learning and memory problems, including dementia and poor school performance.

Alcohol abuse may worsen some health problems like diabetes, osteoporosis, memory loss, high blood pressure and mood disorders. It may also increase the likelihood of accidents such as falls and fractures.

Alcoholism is defined by alcohol dependence, which is the body's physical inability to stop drinking and the presence of alcohol cravings.

Do alcoholics sleep a lot? ›

Abstinent alcoholics tend to sleep poorly, with decreased amounts of SWS and increased nighttime wakefulness that could make sleep less restorative and contribute to daytime fatigue (22). Resumption of heavy drinking leads to increased SWS and decreased wakefulness.

Alcoholics generally drink excessively, often much more than four drinks per day and in a manner they can't control.

Alcoholism, now known as alcohol use disorder, is a condition in which a person has a desire or physical need to consume alcohol, even though it has a negative impact on their life.

Eating before, during, and after drinking can help slow the absorption of alcohol into the bloodstream. Drinking plenty of water can also assist with dehydration and flushing toxins from the body.

Teens who drink are also more likely to get into fights and commit crimes than those who don't. People who drink regularly also often have problems with school. Drinking can damage a student's ability to study well and get decent grades, as well as affect sports performance (the coordination thing).

Drinking alcohol clearly has important effect on social behaviors, such as increasing aggression, self-disclosure, sexual adventuresomeness, and so on. Research has shown that these effects can stem from beliefs we hold about alcohol effects. Less is known about how alcohol itself affects these behaviors.

Work to change community attitudes about underage drinking. Focus as much community attention on underage drinking as on tobacco and drug use. Work with State, Tribal, and local groups to reduce underage drinking. Make it easier for young people who are involved with or at risk for underage drinking to get help.