Answering “Why Do People Become Alcoholics?” for Loved Ones

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Alcoholism is a serious problem that negatively affects an individual’s life, with the negativity splashing on others like hot cooking oil. If you know someone suffering from alcoholism, it’s only normal to wonder why some folks become alcoholics while others don’t. That said, why are some folks more susceptible to becoming alcoholics than others?

There are various reasons why some individuals become alcoholics. At the end of the day, the question, “Why do people become alcoholics?” can be answered as a byproduct of psychological, genetic, and environmental aspects. Finding the correct answer would greatly help, especially if you live with an alcoholic husband. For families, it’s not easy to have a loved one who is an alcoholic. Alcoholic family help is needed. It can be in the form of support groups, intervention, or literature, such as the inspiring memoir of Margaret Moschak, My Alcoholic, My Love. The book is about finding the courage to finally stand up and let go of a toxic relationship with an alcoholic.

But then again, many individuals are alcoholics who lack any mental issues that would lead to alcoholism. It seems that alcoholism isn’t picky about who they want to infect. Whether you’re rich or poor, healthy or unhealthy, we can all be afflicted with alcoholism.

Let’s find out some of the most typical reasons folks become addicted to alcohol.

Typical Reasons Why Some Individuals Become Alcoholics

Excessively drinking too much alcohol for an extended period will lead to changes from a normal functioning brain to a dysfunctional one. This culminates in psychological cravings and physical dependency — two symptoms common in addiction and the main syndromes of alcoholism. While it’s true that anybody can turn into an alcoholic after longstanding alcohol abuse, numerous risk factors add to the development of alcohol use disorder.

Painful Live Experiences and Incessant Stress

Once stress becomes chronic, and let’s say that the individual doesn’t know how to deal with it, said person could end up relying on alcohol as a form of relief. Drinking to cope is unhealthy and will only lead to an increased risk of developing alcohol use disorder, and you might have to live with an alcoholic husband. Other links between stress and alcohol that try to answer “Why do people become alcoholics?” and alcohol consumption include:

• War veterans are very likely to use alcohol as a way to cope with stress

• Both women and men who report high levels of stress are prone to drinking more on average

• Men have a higher possibility of binge drinking to handle stress than women

Suffering from Mental Illness and/or Trauma

Believe it or not, it’s highly typical for people suffering from alcohol abuse and addiction to be accompanied by other mental health illnesses. Take a depressed person, for example. They could drink alcohol as a means for them to self-medicate the syndromes they’re experiencing. Individuals who underwent physical, sexual, and emotional trauma also have higher chances of abusing alcohol drinks so that they can cope.

Environmental and Genetic Causes

Suppose you happen to live with an alcoholic husband or with family members who aren’t responsibly drinking alcohol and encouraging bad habits. In that case, you could become an alcoholic due to the environment. Some studies also suggest a genetic propensity between a parent with an alcohol drinking issue and their kids.

Drinking Alcohol at a Very Young Age

One would think that alcoholism commonly develops during their 20s or 30s. Still, folks who start drinking alcohol very young could have a higher risk of developing alcohol abuse. Young teenagers who hang out with people who drink a lot of alcohol can make teens more susceptible to indulging in the vice. Each factor comes from drinking at a very young age and could significantly enhance their possibility of becoming an alcoholic.

How Do Folks Turn into Alcoholics?

While it’s true that the science behind understanding how folks turn into alcoholics is still an ever-evolving study, we are confident of one thing: the more frequent and more volumes of alcohol a person consumes, the higher the probability of them becoming an alcoholic. Heavy alcohol use can lead to complex changes to the chemistry in the brain, which are noted to be a contributing factor to the advancement of alcoholism.

Understanding and answering the question, “Why do people become alcoholics?” is the first step to getting help and recovering from alcoholism. You can check out Margaret J. Moschak’s book titled My Alcoholic, My Love: My Love and Loss of an Alcoholic Husband, to help you navigate through the difficulties of having an alcoholic loved one.