Alcohol: Causes of Addiction

The development of effective treatment is partly dependent on identifying the causes of addiction. Therefore it is essential to investigate what makes someone develop a problem.

Research shows that a complex interaction between forces such as availability and price of alcohol, genetic characteristics, and life experiences are all implicated in alcohol addiction.

Countries where alcohol is more available have higher rates of alcoholism. Research has shown that changes in availability affect the number of people with alcohol problems.

Social acceptability also has an important effect on alcohol use. Drink-driving campaigns have had a significant effect, but in the UK excessive drinking is still tolerated, and sometimes even expected by society.

Genetic variations between individuals may lead to deficiencies in the body's natural reward system that creates feelings of pleasure when people are taking part in enjoyable activities. These deficiencies could lead to people self-medicating, using alcohol to increase the effects of the body's pleasure chemicals in order to feel 'normal'. Different personality types, such as thrill-seeking, anxiety-prone or depressive people use alcohol for different reasons, for example to help them feel confident in social situations. However, people can learn to manage situations to make them less likely to develop a problem.

Addiction frequently runs in families and several genes associated with alcohol dependence have been identified. There are also very significant differences in the level of alcoholism in different cultures. Native American deaths from alcoholism are 579% greater than for the population as a whole. This evidence points to a genetic link, but also to cultural influences. Japanese people frequently have a gene variant that makes them incapable of metabolising alcohol properly and are therefore unable to drink without severe side-effects. This results in a much lower rate of alcohol problems in people who have the variant.

Having a family history of alcoholism or possessing a particular gene linked to alcohol dependence does not automatically mean an individual will develop a problem. Environmental factors are also important, such as upbringing, trauma and stress. Protective factors such as stable family environment can help prevent people from becoming dependent on alcohol.