Why do people become dependent on alcohol

People who are alcohol dependent have higher rates of other psychiatric disorders than people in the general population — particularly depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, psychosis and drug misuse. Taking regular breaks from alcohol is the best way to lower your risk of becoming dependent on it. If you drink regularly, your body builds up a tolerance to alcohol. Tolerance is a physiological response we have to any drug: the more you consume, the more your body needs to have the same effect.

Regular drinking induces certain enzymes in your liver that break up metabolise alcohol. If you drink heavily over weeks or months, levels of these enzymes go up, your tolerance builds and you need more alcohol to get the same effects 3.

Withdrawal symptoms such as anxiety and jitteriness occur, and you can find yourself drinking alcohol just to relieve that. Breaking your drinking cycle is an important way to test for — and tackle — this kind of dependence. Ways to reduce your drinking. Being alcohol dependent can lead to a whole range of serious health problems. Prolonged heavy drinking damages your liver. An estimated seven out of 10 people with alcoholic liver disease when the liver is damaged by alcohol misuse have an alcohol dependency problem 5.

This is because regular, heavy drinking interferes with neurotransmitters in our brains that are needed for good mental health. Being dependent on alcohol can affect your relationships with your partner, family and friends. These issues can also contribute to depression and anxiety. Alcohol can also make you more aggressive. If you use alcohol to try and improve your mood, you may be starting a vicious cycle. Start with a visit to your GP or by contacting one of the organisations listed at the end of this page.

Severely dependent drinkers usually experience very strong alcohol withdrawal symptoms. It can take between three months and a year to fully recover from the effects of alcohol withdrawal. Even then, the brain remains abnormally sensitive to alcohol 7. So if you start drinking again, your high tolerance to alcohol and withdrawal symptoms can come back within a few days 8.

It's why doctors usually recommend that you don't start drinking again, even in moderation. More about alcohol withdrawal symptoms. In England in , , prescriptions for drugs to treat alcohol dependency were prescribed Drinking within the low risk unit guidelines will help you keep your drinking under control.

Here are three ways you can cut back. Your liver can't tell you if you're drinking too much, but our App can.

It can be affected by some or all of the things listed above. It can also develop from drinking often to relax and cope with stress or to wind down. If you are worried about your alcohol use, take our alcohol test to find out what type of drinker you are. Weekly low-risk alcohol guidelines. Read our cookies policy to find out more about cookies and how we use them. Alcohol dependence What can increase your risk of becoming dependent on alcohol Signs and patterns of alcohol dependence.

Psychological dependence on alcohol Alcohol withdrawal symptoms. What can increase your risk of becoming dependent on alcohol Things that increase your risk of alcohol dependence include: a family history of alcohol dependence starting to drink alcohol at a young age experiencing abuse, neglect or trauma in childhood being male having mental health problems, for example, depression , anxiety , post-traumatic stress disorder PTSD abusing other substances, such as tobacco, illegal drugs, or prescription medicines living in an environment where alcohol is easy to get or people drink a lot Even if none of these apply to you, you can still become dependent on alcohol.

It also decreases the number of dopamine receptors and increases the number of opioid receptors. Together, these brain changes result in mental and physical alcohol dependence, and the need for greater alcohol consumption to overcome tolerance and avoid withdrawal symptoms.

These changes also explain why drugs that block opioid receptors in the brain, like naltrexone, can be used to treat alcohol cravings. Some people may successfully limit their alcohol use to an occasional drink or social drinking. Medical advice and national dietary guidelines encourage adults to drink alcohol in moderation : up to 1 drink a day for women and up to 2 drinks a day for men.

Other people may be unable to drink alcohol without abusing it. These individuals may be referred to as binge drinkers or heavy drinkers. Binge drinking is defined as 4 or more drinks for women and 5 or more drinks for men on any occasion.

Heavy alcohol use , defined as binge drinking 5 or more days a month, puts you at risk of developing alcoholism. Some people have a higher risk of developing an addiction to alcohol. Some may have a predisposition to alcoholism due to genetic factors. Others may have begun drinking at an early age when the areas of the brain used in decision-making and judgment are still being formed.

When these individuals face trauma and adversity , they may turn to alcohol to cope. With continuous, heavy use of alcohol under these circumstances, addiction develops. If a person is finding it difficult to stop drinking alcohol or is experiencing significant consequences from drinking alcohol, they may have an alcohol use disorder.

Specific criteria for alcohol use disorder include:.