Social and environmental factors such as peer pressure and the easy availability of alcohol can play key roles. Some individuals drink to cope with or "medicate" emotional problems. For some alcohol abusers, psychological traits such as impulsiveness, low self-esteem and a need for approval prompt inappropriate drinking.
Not every individual is equally affected by each cause.
Problem drinking has multiple causes, with genetic, physiological, psychological,and social factors all playing a role. 1 For example, a government survey revealed that about one in five individuals aged 12 to 20 were current alcohol users and about two in five young adults, aged 18 to 25, were binge alcohol users and about one in 10 were heavy alcohol users. Withdrawal symptoms may include nausea, sweating, restlessness, irritability, tremors, hallucinations and convulsions.Īlthough severe alcohol problems get the most public attention, even mild to moderate problems cause substantial damage to individuals, their families and the community.Īccording to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), 6.2 percent of adults in the United States aged 18 and older had alcohol use disorder. Alcohol dependence is characterized by tolerance (the need to drink more to achieve the same "high") and withdrawal symptoms if drinking is suddenly stopped. It doesn't matter what kind of alcohol someone drinks or even how much: Alcohol-dependent people are often unable to stop drinking once they start. People with alcoholism - technically known as alcohol dependence - have lost reliable control of their alcohol use. They may have relationship problems related to their drinking. They may have drinking-related legal problems, such as repeated arrests for driving while intoxicated. Alcohol abusers may fail to fulfill major school, work, or family obligations. Moderate use, however, lies at one end of a range that moves through alcohol abuse to alcohol dependence:Īlcohol abuse is a drinking pattern that results in significant and recurrent adverse consequences. (A "drink" means 1.5 ounces of spirits, 5 ounces of wine, or 12 ounces of beer, all of which contain 0.5 ounces of alcohol. When does drinking become a problem?įor most adults, moderate alcohol use - no more than two drinks a day for men and one for women and older people - is relatively harmless.
This question-and-answer fact sheet explains alcohol problems and how psychologists can help people recover. People with alcohol use disorders, however, drink to excess, endangering both themselves and others. For many people, drinking alcohol is nothing more than a pleasant way to relax.
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