What makes you an alcoholic?

Are you fond of drinking alcohol? Or do you think that alcohol is your best friend in tough times? It may seem like a good idea at first, but alcoholism can be detrimental to your health and relationships. Yes, you read it right; alcoholism is a real thing.

In this article, we will explore what makes people an alcoholic and bust some common myths around it.

What Is Alcoholism?

Alcoholism is also known as alcohol use disorder (AUD). It’s a chronic disease where someone has an uncontrollable need to drink despite the negative consequences on their life(1). Though one person might consume more than another without becoming addicted, how much and how often someone drinks are indeed indicators of whether they have AUD or not.

Going forward, let’s dive into what causes Alcohol Use Disorder:

Genetic Reason

Firstly we have genetics, which plays a crucial role in developing AUD. Studies conclude that there are gene variants (ADH1B and CYP2E1) that affect liver metabolism(2). Due to differences in these genes enzymes break down ethanol slowly or quickly resulting in various responses by drinkers towards unpleasant effects caused by consuming too much alcohol such as flushing due to acetaldehyde accumulation after metabolism(3).

However don’t blame genetics entirely for being stuck with boozing because we could also inherit personality traits from family members showing symptoms like mood disorders or stress levels causing addiction tendency (4 & 5)

Environmental Factor

People start drinking now and then either as growing up from cultural/societal norms(enablers, coz who doesn’t want company?) or using it initially for social anxiety relief(⁶).

Slowly but surely frequency keeps increasing until personal enjoyment turns
into dependence due to environmental stressors living arrangements ,trauma
and genetic predisposition can clog judgment,leading to risky behavior associated with addiction(7).

How You Drink

Another point worth mentioning is that there could be alcohol dependence due to the way one drinks rather than how much they drink. For some individuals, drinking in social situations may make them feel more comfortable or confident (8). Eventually, they depend on booze when its time for “solitude,” masking intrusion (problem) followed by longer and unprotected engagement with it.

Let’s shift our focus on common misconceptions related to alcoholism:

The Myth: Alcoholics Are Just People Who Drink Too Much

Contrary to popular belief, alcoholism does not always correspond to daily consumption or the inability to hold down a job, only occasional binge-drinking mind you! That’s because everyone has different sensitivities toward ethanol intoxication; hence no strict rules/labels for indulging.(9 and 10)

A chronic alcoholic will observe various changes of behavior accentuating lethargy which worsen without diligent care.Equivalent signs of hungover initially follows as physiological tolerance increases towards alcohol actions.Symptoms might go unnoticed if covered under medical history scrutiny(11)

The Myth: Only Certain Kinds Of People Become Addicted To Alcohol

It is tempting but lazy thinking that those who become addicted have weak morals or lack integrity. Despite companies’ perspectives linking depictions with social economic status putting women ,minorities at risk isolated from world wealth few struggling from community incapacity even gains access(12).

Also famous personalities and corporate people are equally susceptible. There isn’t any peculiarity–it targets anyone compromising vigilance albeit demographics varying because of diverse backgrounds vying significant attention often traumatizing psychiatric-ally pushed ones transiting steady drains(who likes stable lives anyways?)

Conclusion

In conclusion, we’ve seen what causes someone’s excessive drinking and tendency towards AUD–some genetic, the environment itself is also one big factor to influence. It’s disheartening how many myths people assume about it,but Alcoholism is a disease just like any other.And anyone– regardless of their station in life –can suffer from the alcohol abuse that brings on this affliction. However, early identification and intervention can go far towards limiting its effects(13). Remember,”too much “drinking isn’t an invitation for boasting.

Wanna know more? You might end up with Alcohol use disorder yourself then..##References

1) https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/brochures-and-fact-sheets/alcohol-use-disorder-what-it
2)https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26912494/
3)https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/hep.13524
4)http://psychology.jrank.org/pages/250/Addiction.html
5 )Veenstra-VanderWeele J^1, Christian SL2 (Genetics of autism spectrum disorder)
6 )Saha TD^1, Chou SP54,(Alcohol use associate social anxiety patterns)
7 )Goldman D (Drug Addiction And Its Molecular Underpinnings)(NCBI blog post )
8 )Pohorecky LA^1 (Interaction Of Ethanol And Stress: Research Towards Understanding Synergistic Relationships In Their Effects On The Brain )
9,)https :// psycnet.apa.org /record/ 1977 -23061-001
10,)Rehm J.(Monitoring quality &content of wine))
11.) O’Brien CP.;volkow N(Disease Model for Drug Addiction:A Focus on Current Neurochemical Knowledge)
12.)article(Stress Response Linked To Aura Corp Secrets Reveal Relationship Between Economic Output,and Access to Healthcare Among Wine Drinkers.)
13.)Oslin DW1, Lynch KG(Cognitive data analysis of interventions targeting Alcoholism))

Dane Raynor

Hey there, I’m Dane Raynor, and I’m all about sharing fascinating knowledge, news, and hot topics. I’m passionate about learning and have a knack for simplifying complex ideas. Let’s explore together!