Contents
Alcoholism is dangerous because it subjugates a person gradually, imperceptibly. Just yesterday, a successful member of society is gradually descending, and his world is narrowing down to a single desire – to drink alcohol, no matter what and no matter at what price it is obtained.
There are many causes of alcoholism, scientists divide them into three groups:
- physiological;
- psychological;
- social.
Physiological causes of alcoholism
One of the main physiological causes of alcoholism is heredity. Those who have one of the parents or distant ancestors were not restrained in drinking alcohol are more prone to alcoholism. The earlier a person is addicted to alcohol, the higher the chances of developing the disease. Often people become alcoholics whose mothers drank beer, wine, alcoholic cocktails during pregnancy.
In the human body, the enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase is responsible for the breakdown of ethanol and the formation of acetaldehyde. Toxic acetaldehydes are neutralized by another enzyme, acetaldehyde dehydrogenase. The rate of action of enzymes is a hereditary factor. Moreover, in the human body with “fast” enzymes, the rate of chemical reactions can be 90 times higher than in someone who was awarded “slow” enzymes by their parents.
The least susceptible to alcoholism are people with “fast” alcohol dehydrogenase and “slow” acetaldehyde dehydrogenase. The first enzyme breaks down ethanol at an accelerated pace, a shock dose of acetaldehyde enters the blood, but the “slow” acetaldehyde dehydrogenase is in no hurry to neutralize the toxin. As a result, the hangover is so painful that the person begins to feel disgust for alcohol. It is easy to recognize “physiological teetotalers”: from the very first sip of alcohol they blush greatly. According to statistics, people with this feature in Asia – up to 77%, in Eastern Europe – 3-8%, in Russia – about 10% (most of all in Chuvashia – up to 18%).
In those who do not blush or blush immediately after drinking alcohol, alcohol dehydrogenase works slowly. A person with this property of the body should be especially restrained in the use of intoxicating drinks, since he is physiologically predisposed to alcoholism.
Cravings for alcohol are often experienced by those whose body produces too little dopamine, the hormone of joy. Ethanol stimulates the synthesis of this substance. A drinking person suddenly discovers that alcohol is the easiest and most affordable way to get pleasure.
The cause of alcoholism is a disease that affects mental abilities and strong-willed qualities, for example, a traumatic brain injury or a narrowing of the vessels of the brain. Sometimes people become alcoholics trying to drown out pain, in particular, phantom pains from amputated organs.
Psychological causes of alcoholism
Alcohol dulls mental abilities, and problems that seemed serious to a sober person recede into the background in a drinker. There is a false sense of getting out of a difficult situation. The problem does not go away, but it stops bothering a drunk person.
The reason for the need to drink are:
- loneliness (according to statistics, more than half of alcoholics are lonely);
- fatigue, desire to relieve tension;
- grief, the loss of a dear person;
- failures and resulting depression, low self-esteem;
- boredom, inability to organize leisure.
Social causes of alcoholism
At friendly gatherings, a bottle of alcohol, at least beer, usually appears in the center of the table. An evening at the bar is not complete without cocktails or something stronger. Non-alcoholic holidays are perceived as a joke. Gradually, even those who are physically disgusted with alcohol are drawn into this vicious system.
Circumstances forcing to take alcohol:
- fear of being an outcast in a circle of drinking friends or colleagues;
- physically difficult or demanding work;
- the need for the sake of earning money to do an unloved thing;
- financial problems, lack of housing, inability to provide yourself and your loved ones with a decent standard of living;
- troubles in the family.
Causes of male alcoholism
Men by nature are programmed to “mammoth prey”: creation, struggle, victory, providing the family with material wealth. Finding themselves in a situation where they cannot fulfill this role, many men break down and drown depression in alcohol. At risk are those whose wives constantly make scandals due to lack of money. Often the husbands of overbearing women drink too much.
But quite successful, cheerful, optimistic men who perceive beer as a soft drink and consume it in huge quantities are also at risk. The most severe forms of chronic addiction to alcohol begin with beer alcoholism: it is impossible for such patients to prove that it is time for them to be treated.
Causes of female alcoholism
Due to a slower metabolism than men, women drink much faster. Ladies are more emotional, for them the cause of alcoholism to alcohol sometimes becomes:
- premenstrual, postpartum or menopausal depression;
- real or imagined problems with appearance;
- disorder in personal life;
- excessive workload due to perfectionism – the desire to perfectly fulfill their duties at home and at work;
- drinking alcohol with a drinking husband.
Society is less lenient towards women’s alcoholism than it is towards men’s. Therefore, drinking ladies hide their addiction to the last, and it is much more difficult to treat them than men.
Causes of teenage and child alcoholism
The fascination of teenagers with alcohol begins with drinks that are fashionable among the youth: energy drinks, cocktails, beer (including non-alcoholic ones). Here, most of the blame lies with the parents, who did not explain and show in time what excessive love for alcohol leads to.
Also, teenagers begin to abuse alcohol due to:
- unwillingness to lag behind peers, the desire to assert themselves;
- the influence of bad company;
- learning problems;
- bad experience of first falling in love;
- inability to manage free time;
- lack of trust in the family;
- the influence of one of the drinking relatives.
To avoid trouble, parents should be interested in the social circle, hobbies of teenagers, accustom them to a healthy lifestyle and proper organization of leisure.
Prevention of alcohol addiction
The basic principle of the prevention of alcoholism was formulated by Omar Khayyam:
Wine is prohibited, but there are four “buts”:
It depends on who, with whom, when and to the best of his ability to drink wine.
Subject to these four conditions
All sane wine is allowed.
The key word here is sanity. In order not to become addicted to alcohol, you must first consider the consequences of your actions. In the presence of willpower, even a person with a hereditary predisposition to alcoholism has every chance not to get sick. Please note that beer is an alcoholic beverage and is subject to the same rules as hard liquor.
Basic principles of primary prevention of alcoholism:
- do not drink alone;
- know the measure and do not abuse alcohol;
- do not drink for two or more days in a row. If for any reason this rule is violated, take a break of at least 7-10 days before the next alcohol intake;
- never hangover with alcohol;
- do not keep warm with alcohol (except when it comes to frostbite);
- do not drink from grief, because of failures or for pleasure;
- do not use strong alcohol as a pain reliever;
- lead a healthy lifestyle and set an example for your own children.
A sign of beginning alcoholism is a strong craving for alcohol and the desire to get drunk with an alcoholic drink. Anyone who is not able to cope with the addiction should consult a doctor. Check yourself with our test for alcoholism.
Alcoholics, as a rule, hardly recognize themselves as sick. Therefore, if one of the relatives began to drink too often, not educational measures are required, but medical assistance. Secondary prevention of alcoholism consists in treatment. The sooner it is started, the more chances the patient has to return to normal life.
Tertiary prevention of alcoholism is the creation of conditions for the recovering person under which he will voluntarily give up alcohol. A benevolent atmosphere in the family (with reasonable control from loved ones), an interesting job, a hobby, regular visits to a psychologist or Alcoholics Anonymous – all this helps to overcome the disease.
You should not bring yourself to a state where medical intervention is needed. But if trouble happened, it is better to consult a doctor in time than to irreparably ruin the life of yourself and your loved ones.