GeneralWhat Kinds Of People Become Addicted To Alcohol?

People tend to have a certain perception of alcoholics. Unless they actually know someone addicted to alcohol, they buy into stereotypes. They assume that alcoholics belong to certain socioeconomic groups, have come back from war, or are simply lacking in willpower.

The reality, however, is that alcoholism does not discriminate. Everyone who drinks is at risk of becoming addicted to alcohol. Because people from most cultures drink, an AA meeting can look very diverse.

So, let’s put aside the preconceived notions of alcohol addicts and take a more realistic look at what kinds of people become addicted to alcohol. Here are the risk factors.

Genetics

There are many scenarios in which two casual drinkers seem to go through the same circumstances, living similar lives, and yet only one of them becomes addicted to alcohol. Of course, it is impossible to take all other factors out of the equation. Nevertheless, there is strong evidence that shows that genetic factors play a role in 50% of people who become alcoholics.

These genetic factors are invisible. They may include the particular way a person’s brain grows or the way their reward systems are activated. However, since they are genetic, the alcoholism of one or both parents should be seen as a risk factor.

Mental Illness

Substance use disorders are today considered mental illnesses. But for many people, the addiction is triggered by another mental illness. These are called co-occurring disorders.

A person may start using alcohol to numb the pain caused by their depression. They may use it to dull their anxiety or to fall asleep at night. Many people who suffer from obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) become addicted to alcohol as a way of drowning out obsessive thoughts.

Mental illness can be genetic and can also be caused by environmental factors. Mental illness therefore does not discriminate, and affects people of all kinds.

Trauma

It is no secret that many veterans of the military become addicted to alcohol when they return home. There are a number of reasons for this, including the vacuum left in their lives without the familiarity of military service. That said, one of the biggest risk factors is trauma.

However, trauma is not just a consequence of war. In fact, millions of people who have never served in an army or been in a gunfight struggle with trauma. Trauma can include the experience of suddenly losing a parent or another important loved one. It can include sexual abuse and domestic abuse. It can include the experience of a national or global tragedy.

There is another kind of trauma that comes with a lot less drama. Children who grow up in dysfunctional homes spend years in fear of catastrophe. This leads to them feeling like they always need to be prepared because there is a constant hidden danger. This persistent experience can be as dramatic as the experience of apparent danger.

Many LGBTQ people go thoruhg similar experiences, hiding their identities for years in terror of being outed.

Why do people experience trauma differently? There is no clear answer as to why some trauma survivors suffer from illnesses like PTSD and alcoholism and others do not. However, genetics and environmental factors play a role.

What does an alcoholic look like?

Certain stereotypes of the type of person who becomes an alcoholic are based in reality. Environmental factors definitely make certain people more likely to turn to alcohol as a solution. People who live in poverty, are unemployed, and who have alcoholic friends are exposed to many risk factors.

However, the biggest factor in alcoholism seems to be genetics. This is why some people battling alcoholism live in poverty while others have generational wealth. It’s why both unemployed and employed people become addicted to alcohol. It’s why alcohol awareness programs work for some but not for others.

When you take mental illness into account, the genetic factors only become more prominent. Mental illness is, to a large extent, genetic, just like alcoholism.

Circumstantial factors play a role as well. Trauma often leads to alcoholism, as trauma survivors search for a way to turn off. Trauma can happen to anyone and is not always war or crime related.

Alcoholism does not discriminate. It is important that the stereotypes begin to fall away, so that more people are aware of the dangers of alcoholism for themselves and their loved ones.

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