The simplistic observation would be to say that certain traumatic life events or medical conditions can make someone more susceptible to becoming addicted to alcohol.
There is a journey that can seem like a predictable path for some people who are perceived to be more susceptible to addiction than others. From enjoying one drink too many all too often to getting professional support from an outpatient alcohol rehab facility, it almost seems inevitable that some people have a lower resistance to this damaging behavior.
Are some of us really more prone to becoming alcoholics than others?
Certain factors can often play a key role
There is probably more than an element of truth in the observation that alcoholism can be triggered by factors such as genetics, social and environmental conditions, social factors, and psychological issues.
Even allowing for those potential predispositions, it still takes a period of time to develop an addiction to alcohol.
Excessive drinking triggers a chain of events in your body where the normal balance of chemicals and nerve tracks in your brain become unduly influenced. Your brain creates an association between alcohol and positive feelings and pleasure.
Once that association has been established in your brain this is the point where alcoholism becomes a clear and present danger.
The bottom line is that it is hard to scientifically conclude without doubt that a person’s genetic makeup raises their risk profile and increases the prospect of becoming an alcoholic. Some of us might be more vulnerable than others to the lure of alcohol, but the reality is that there are also other contributory risk factors that can potentially lead to alcoholism.
Regular drinking can easily become a bad habit that is hard to stop
Quite simply, if you drink a steady volume of alcohol consistently you can soon create a physical dependency. There might be an underlying reason why you are drinking alcohol so frequently but it still presents as a risk factor that is not entirely influenced by your genetic or socioeconomic profile.
Starting at an early age raises your risk profile
One thing that we do know about starting to drink alcohol from an early age is that it increases the risk of problem drinking. It can also create a physical dependence on alcohol.
Your family history can be a contributory factor
How you are raised and what sort of family life you are exposed to can also make a noticeable difference to your risk profile.
The risk of alcoholism is higher when someone has a parent or close family member who has struggled with alcoholism.
Mental health problems can be a key trigger
Mental health issues such as depression impacts so many people. It can often be the case that someone might turn to alcohol as a coping mechanism.
The fundamental problem that creates such an issue with alcohol for some people is that it is so widely available and drinking is considered socially acceptable in so many cultures.
Whether problems with alcohol are triggered by some of these factors or background influences the end result is the same. An addiction treatment and rehabilitation program is usually one of the most effective ways of combating alcoholism, whatever factors led to that scenario in the first place.
