Why does a person want to drink alcohol? Why does a person who drinks alcohol become bolder? Social causes of alcoholism

They probably wondered why a person drinks. I have prepared an article for you where I will try to answer this question.

Much will be a revelation for you, you will learn a lot of new things, so read.

The problem of excessive alcohol consumption in Russia is growing every year. According to statistics, more than 5 million people in the country suffer from alcoholism, and about 500 thousand men and women die every year as a result of this addiction.

Ischemic heart disease, liver cirrhosis, chronic pancreatitis, suicide attempts, and domestic homicides lead to early mortality due to alcoholism. In addition, the frequency of consumption of low-quality alcoholic beverages and alcohol substitutes is growing, which accounts for up to 40 thousand cases of poisoning per year, including deaths. Why do people drink alcohol? Why do they feel such a painful attachment to strong drinks? There are many reasons, let's look at the main ones.

Genetic factor

Scientific research and observations of experimental groups of people from various social strata have proven the influence of genetic predisposition on the occurrence of alcoholism. In other words, in people’s DNA there is a special gene for alcoholism, which affects the tendency to drink excessively and quickly become addicted to ethyl alcohol.

Thus, a person who does not have such a gene does not experience euphoria when drinking alcohol. On the contrary, she feels a deterioration in her general condition, nausea, and headaches. Addiction to ethyl alcohol rarely develops over a long period of time. People who are carriers of a pathological gene, when they first become acquainted with alcoholic beverages, feel a feeling of satisfaction, happiness, and pleasant relaxation. Addiction sets in quickly and leads to a painful craving for ethanol.

Social factor

The social environment and close circle of a person from birth influences his worldview and understanding of the world. If a child was born from a drinking mother who drank alcohol during pregnancy and breastfeeding, then the risk of developing an addiction increases tenfold. A child becomes dependent on ethyl alcohol from infancy. Growing up in a drinking family strengthens children's craving for alcoholic beverages, which leads to childhood and youth alcoholism in 90% of cases.

The harmful influence of society does not necessarily come from the family. There are many known cases of alcoholism in children of non-drinking parents. In adolescence, a child, due to his psychological characteristics, becomes a rebel against family, school, and the rules of behavior accepted in society. If you find yourself in bad company who are fond of alcoholic drinks, you quickly succumb to influence and do not notice how a bad habit becomes a serious illness. Alcohol advertising in the press and on television, as well as films with main characters boldly walking through life with a glass of strong drink, play a significant role.

Psychological factor

The most powerful factor that gives birth to millions of alcoholics around the globe is, of course, psychological. Like any other drug, alcohol initially causes psychological dependence. No one doubts that ethyl alcohol can be classified as a narcotic substance. Unlike heroin and cocaine, alcoholic drinks form physical dependence - hangover syndrome, delirium tremens, delirium tremens 7-15 years after the start of drinking alcohol.

Of course, the time of onset of physical dependence is influenced by the quality and quantity of alcohol consumed, standard of living, state of health and the presence of a pathological gene, but on average statistics usually indicate such figures. People have been poisoning their bodies for years just because of the feeling of relaxation and false happiness that ethanol brings. Mental dependence becomes a powerful factor that forces you to take alcohol again and again.

Scientists have proven that ethyl alcohol causes increased production of endorphins in the human body, the so-called “hormones of happiness.” They are the ones who dull the feeling of shame, anxiety, shyness, liberate and give a feeling of freedom. After drinking alcohol, problems fade into the background, life seems easy and relaxed, self-esteem increases - people feel happy. With regular consumption of alcohol, your own endorphins cease to be produced, which forces you to take strong drinks in order to again feel a state of euphoria.

Unfortunately, the understanding that minutes and hours of euphoria in an alcoholic stupor does not bring real happiness, does not solve problems, does not lead to development, comes quite late or does not come at all. A drinking person loses his family, job, friends, property. The alcoholic becomes lonely or is surrounded by equally dependent people, which reinforces the “normality” of such behavior in the mind.

People often start drinking after the tragic loss of a loved one, as a result of a financial crisis, or disappointment in the world around them. Great stress brings injury, leading to disfigurement or disability. Unfulfilled hopes of achieving a high position in society or recognition among athletes, artists, artists, and politicians usually lead to alcohol addiction. Easy money turns the unattainable into accessible, makes a choice in favor of a wild life and, as a result, loads people with an addiction as an integral attribute.

However, the most banal and less tragic reason is drinking in company. There is probably no more senseless reason for drunkenness. Seeming like everyone else, being on trend, and joining the company makes people drink alcohol regularly. A cheerful life in a circle of tipsy friends leads to alcohol addiction, and subsequently to moral, physical and social degradation.

Who is most likely to suffer from alcoholism?

Genetic, social and psychological factors can act together or individually, thereby causing addiction to ethanol. However, these factors can be counterbalanced by upbringing, determination, culture of behavior, high moral principles and religious beliefs. A passionate person will never have a problem with alcoholic beverages. It doesn’t matter what a person is passionate about - work, family, sports, hobbies, faith in a higher power, travel.

Busy people who have a goal and the will to achieve it do not fall into the ranks of alcoholics. The ability to switch from problems to positive thinking, to rise from your knees after family grief or financial collapse, no matter what, does not give alcohol a chance to take over your soul and body. A person who sincerely loves life will not allow a drunken fog to change it and make it unreal.

They say that statistics are a stubborn thing. And she points to the growing problem of domestic drunkenness and alcoholism every year. But it’s worth thinking about why this happens? Of course, it’s easier to drown your grief with vodka or lose your individuality in order to be like everyone else. But what will this life position lead to? Mental emptiness, unemployment, tears of loved ones, alien surroundings of the same losers as a drinking person becomes. If there is even one chance to stop drinking alcohol, you need to take it. And every person has such a chance.

Main reason for drinking alcohol

And now I will tell you the main reason for drinking alcohol. We can say this is the root of all other reasons. And here lies the secret of how to finally get rid of the addiction to alcohol, i.e. stop drinking once and for all. After all, only by eliminating the root cause, or one might say the cause of all causes, will we no longer want to be poisoned by this terrible poison.

So, attention. But first I will say that the main reason lies not in physiological or even psychological factors. Yes, alcohol, like a drug, leads to addiction, and subsequently the body will need more and more new doses. This is physiology. Psychological factors also play a significant role. But still, the root of the problem is buried in the deep spiritual essence of a person, in his soul. It is in the discord between the soul - the higher self and the psyche, the lower self or ego, that lies the main reason for drinking alcohol. Are you surprised. I'll explain everything now.

In the meantime, that's all happiness and health to you .

Alcoholism - global problem of modern society. Oddly enough, most people feel the need to drink to one degree or another. Some try to drink alcohol only on holidays, while others do not shy away from drinking at any convenient time.

So why do people drink alcohol?

In fact, there are many reasons for this, for example, psychological, physiological, social. But be that as it may, we must remember that alcoholic beverages have a negative effect on human health.

Harm from alcohol

Many people think that alcohol will help them solve some problems. They try to escape reality through drinking. But in the end it turns out that there are more problems. Adding to the unresolved difficulties is a hangover.

In some cases, it is the hangover that leads to binge drinking and ultimately alcoholism. It is known that alcohol addiction is practically untreatable. The only exception is stage 1.

If a person becomes dependent on alcoholic beverages, his life changes, and not for the better. As a rule, he becomes uninterested in his work, and family problems appear. He only thinks about where to get the next portion of strong drinks.

A person drinks without thinking about anything. As a result, health suffers.

It should be said that alcohol affects all human organs. First of all, the heart, brain, liver, kidneys, and stomach are affected. The mental state of an alcoholic cannot be called normal.

He constantly experiences stress, becomes irritable, his memory deteriorates, and his condition becomes depressed. It is very difficult to communicate with such a person. He does not accept criticism and believes that he can stop drinking alcohol at any time, so he does not agree to treatment.

Why do people drink alcohol if there are other ways to relax and solve problems?

There are reasons for this that should be considered in detail.

Reasons why people drink

The reasons for drinking alcoholic beverages can be divided into three categories:

1. psychological;
2. social;
3. physiological.

Sometimes the reasons can be combined with each other. For example, if a person spends time in the company of dependent people and has a genetic predisposition, he will in any case become drunk much faster. But a person does not always become an alcoholic due to several factors. Sometimes one reason is enough.

People start drinking because it is the most common and accessible means of satisfying their needs.

Psychological reasons why a person drinks alcohol

The psychological reasons for the development of alcohol dependence are largely determined by a person’s character, his personality type, and mental abilities. Often these are creative people who are unable to solve serious problems.

But at the same time, such a person drinks because he cannot tell anyone sober about his problems, much less entrust their solution to someone else. When such people drink, their insecurity disappears, they become talkative and sociable.

In other words, the psychological reasons why a person drinks include: the desire to relax, get rid of loneliness, “drown out” depression, and increase self-esteem. Many people start drinking for these reasons, not noticing that over time they become alcoholics, dependent on alcohol.

Social reasons why a person drinks alcohol

There are a great many such reasons. Often society dictates the traditions of drinking alcohol to a person. Again, advertising on TV, drinking establishments located on every corner, friends, colleagues who drink.

Sometimes it's better to agree to have another drink than to figure out why you don't want to drink. Meanwhile, each portion of alcohol consumed creates a craving for alcoholic beverages in a person.

The main reasons why a person drinks: lack of family, personal life, “company”, problems at work, unstable financial situation, problems with housing, in society.

Physiological reasons why a person drinks alcohol

The physiological reasons for the development of alcoholism are the following: genetic predisposition, the presence of mental disorders, head injuries, features of intrauterine development, metabolism.

A person’s gender also plays an important role, since women are more prone to alcoholism, and it is very difficult to recover from it. It is also necessary to note the person’s age; if you drink from adolescence, addiction will arise earlier.

It is necessary to say something about genetics. It has been proven that children born to drinking parents are more susceptible to alcoholism. Therefore, when they become adults, they should stay away from alcohol.

Other reasons why people drink

In fact, there are so many reasons that it is simply impossible to list them all. But there are also such categories of alcoholism as: male, female, teenage. There are plenty of reasons for each category.

Male alcoholism mainly begins with the fact that a person has a habit of drinking with friends, or problems at work, loneliness and unsettled personal life. If a man has not completely drunk himself to death, he can be helped if he expresses a desire.

Female alcoholism is incurable, according to psychologists and narcologists. Therefore, you need strong motivation and willpower to drink alcohol at least very rarely. Few people manage to give up alcohol completely. Ladies drink for various reasons: a difficult divorce, the death of a loved one, the inability to give birth to a child, a cheating husband, depression and loneliness.

All these reasons force them to drink, despite the criticism of others.

Teenage alcoholism is no less scary. If a person drank from a young age, then his chances of becoming a normal person are negligible. Until the body is strong and mature, addiction to alcoholic beverages is simply rapid.

As a rule, teenagers drink because of problems with their parents, misunderstanding of others, poor performance at school, and also “for company,” because “that’s how it is” before a disco, for example.

Some people want to appear cool, thinking that if they drink and smoke, they will increase their authority in the eyes of their peers. Subsequently, when a teenager becomes an adult, he can no longer live without another dose of alcohol. This will interfere with his further studies, work, and starting a family.

Let's sum it up

The question “why do people drink” has a lot of answers. Everyone drinks alcohol for their own personal reasons. But it should be remembered that even a small amount of alcohol-containing drinks drunk regularly will lead to alcoholism. This is an insidious disease that you can quickly get used to. But it is very difficult to get rid of.

In some cases it is simply impossible. When drinking again, you need to think: “why and why am I drinking, what will it do for me, and can I do without it?” If it is possible not to drink, it is better not to do so.

Every person has wondered why people drink alcohol. After all, everyone knows that alcohol is harmful to health, and at the same time, some often use it and become addicted. You can hear various excuses about why this is being done. But most of them are just excuses that a drinking person comes up with. In fact, at each stage of alcoholism there is a reason that forces you to consume strong alcohol. Now let’s figure out what factors cause dependence.

What can you hear from alcoholics?

Before we figure out why people start drinking alcohol, let’s list the false reasons. They serve as an excuse both at an early stage of the disease and at a later stage. Moreover, a person inspires this not only to others, but also to himself.

You can often hear that alcohol helps you become more sociable and feel freer.

Yes, if you drink a glass of wine, you can really feel how the psychological barrier disappears. If you drink more alcohol, you can forget about all the norms of behavior. , and this makes the person stupider. Looseness is actually inadequacy, and sociability is annoying.

Another reason is to feel the fun. If a person needs to drink to feel joy, then he clearly has psychological problems. Well, alcohol is not really a source of fun. Yes, you can feel better, but at the same time, emotional swings are likely. That is, after joy there will come deep sadness. And in the morning the mood will obviously not be good.

“For courage” - this is what you can often hear from a person who drinks strong alcohol. Yes, it becomes easier to perform various actions, but this is due to the loss of normal perception of reality. This often ends with the man behaving indecently towards a person of the opposite sex or even mutilating himself. After all, for a time there are no boundaries for him, including the instinct of self-preservation.

To get rid of stress, starting to drink is far from the best solution. . This leads to depression, apathy and mental disorders. Stress may disappear for a while, but then it only doubles. Accordingly, it would be unwise to use alcoholic drinks to ease one’s mental state and relieve nervous tension.

Drinking alcohol to relieve a hangover is one of the worst reasons. This is a direct path to alcoholism, as a vicious circle arises. Therefore, it is unacceptable to fight a hangover using alcohol. Otherwise, you may soon notice the appearance of addiction.

The real reasons

When it comes to why an alcoholic decided to drink, you shouldn't believe excuses. He can complain as much as he wants about life, about problems, or convince him that strong drinks have a positive effect. In fact, there are only five true reasons, and each of them appears at a certain stage.

Naturally, no one is born with alcoholism. There may be a predisposition if parents suffered from a bad habit. However, the dependence itself develops over time. It usually takes several years for this disease to appear. Moreover, women become drunk faster than men. Now let's figure out what leads to a sad outcome.

Real reasons:

• Start. This is the moment when a person just starts drinking. It can happen at different ages. For most people it doesn’t go further than this, but there is still a risk. The main reason is drinking alcohol out of curiosity or for company. There is no dependence, and the person drinks once a month or less.
• Stage 2. The individual drinks alcohol several times a month, but does so irregularly. There are already several reasons, including “for the company.” As a rule, this is done in order to once again feel the sensations that appear during intoxication. There is a euphoria that you want to repeat. There is no dependence yet, but there are hints of it.
• Stage 3. It is characterized by the fact that the person regularly drinks on weekends (or on any other days). For example, a person gets used to drinking beer on Fridays and does not deny himself it. That is, ethanol consumption becomes a habit. Here another reason is added: dependence on a psychological level. That is, without alcoholic drinks a Friday evening is not possible.
• Stage 4. In this case, a strong addiction has appeared, and the person drinks almost every day. The body is seriously poisoned by harmful substances, and the alcoholic seeks to get rid of negative symptoms with the help of ethanol. He regularly suffers from hangovers, from which strong drinks help. A person can no longer imagine his life without alcoholic beverages.
• The final stage. This is an extreme degree of alcoholism, when a person loses adequacy and connection with the outside world. He does not come out of his state of intoxication. The functioning of the body is greatly deteriorated; organs cannot function normally. The brain and central nervous system were damaged. Relatives fail to recognize a loved one in an alcoholic. There are three reasons for this: an established habit, an attempt to maintain the body’s energy, and a desire to alleviate intoxication.

From this we can understand that people did not drink because of those factors that serve as excuses. But, in any case, if addiction is suspected, immediate action must be taken.

In the early stages, you can prevent alcoholism or, if it exists, it will be easier to get rid of it.

Tools from the Internet will help you overcome a bad habit. It will also be useful to talk to a psychologist who will help you understand the problem and overcome addiction. The sooner treatment begins, the sooner it will be possible to return your loved one to normal life. The main thing is to support him and help him overcome the craving for alcohol. We must remember that this is a disease, and it can be treated even in its later stages if you make an effort.

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The question of why people drink alcohol is usually associated with an attempt to understand the causes of addiction to drinking alcoholic beverages. Not every person who drinks alcohol becomes an alcoholic. Any medicine that is beneficial in small doses becomes poisonous in large doses. The development and spread of the culture of drinking alcoholic beverages is important, especially in our country, where drinking alcohol is practically a national tradition.

Alcohol drinking culture

The tradition of drinking alcohol goes back a long way. The ancient Romans, Vikings and Egyptians made wine and spirits from fermented grape juice. Drinking alcohol accompanied festive feasts, and intoxicating potions were also used in rituals of communicating with spirits. In ancient Rus', the most popular alcoholic drinks were intoxicated mead and beer. Since the invention of bread vodka in the mid-15th century, taverns have appeared - establishments intended for drinking alcohol.

Why do people drink alcohol

The answer to the question why people drink alcohol lies in the positive feelings and emotions that alcohol causes when consumed in small doses. Ethanol molecules suppress the activity of neurons in the prefrontal and temporal parts of the cerebral cortex, while increasing the activity of dopamine receptors. As a result, rational thinking weakens and psychological barriers are removed. A person becomes relaxed, sociable, disconnects from stress factors, and experiences a feeling of joy, pleasure, and mild euphoria.

Why do you want to drink

The positive effect, once experienced after moderate consumption of alcohol, is consolidated in the subconscious. Alcohol is perceived as a means of relieving stress, elevating mood, and social emancipation. The social factor also has its influence. People who categorically refuse alcoholic beverages, in most cases cause bewilderment and slight hostility among those around them, and with their behavior provoke persuasion to drink a little “for company.”

Reasons for drinking alcohol

In addition to the positive effect, the effect of alcohol on the body causes negative consequences, the main one of which is the risk of developing alcoholism. Alcohol helps to cope with stress and the difficulties of social adaptation, but with regular use it causes depression in some people, which triggers the mechanisms of addiction, leading to binge drinking that threatens health and interferes with leading a full life. The question becomes relevant: why do you want to drink alcohol when a person understands that he is prone to alcohol abuse?

Psychological

A number of personal characteristics, such as lack of self-confidence, increased sensitivity and vulnerability, egocentrism, place their owners at risk of developing alcoholism. Alcohol intoxication at the initial stage makes such people more sociable and relaxed, they feel more confident, and begin to enjoy communication. The presence of psychological difficulties of a different nature is a factor answering the question of why a person drinks alcohol.

Social

The role of the influence of the social environment is no less significant. The presence of drinking parents answers the question of why a teenager who is beginning to grow up wants to drink alcohol and, since childhood, has been watching the adults around him drink strong alcoholic drinks on holidays. A teenager begins to drink because he perceives drinking as an integral part of growing up, but it is forbidden because everyone tells him that drinking is bad.

Physiological

There are biological factors that contribute to the development of alcohol dependence. According to statistics, with a genetic predisposition (blood relatives who drink), the risk of developing alcoholism is four times higher. The absence or low amount of a number of enzymes necessary for the metabolism of ethanol products leads to the fact that the body is more susceptible to and has low resistance to alcoholic beverages. In combination with a number of personal characteristics, this factor becomes decisive in the formation of a stable dependence on alcohol.

False reasons for drunkenness

Many of the myths that surround alcohol use can be considered false reasons why people allow themselves to abuse alcohol. For example, some strong drinks affect blood vessels, expanding or narrowing them (depending on the type of alcohol). This factor is beginning to be used to justify drunkenness, citing the healing effect of alcohol for headaches. Regular consumption of beer, in the initial stages, indicates everyday promiscuity and ignorance, and not addiction.

Why do people start drinking

The question of why some people drink alcohol without becoming dependent on it, while others should never drink alcohol under any circumstances, worries many specialists who study alcohol addiction and are looking for ways to overcome it. The emergence and development of alcoholism in women and men is influenced by a huge number of factors - their biological and personal characteristics, the lifestyle they lead, the social environment in which they find themselves.

There are several stages of alcohol addiction. From stage to stage, the body's resistance to alcohol decreases (withdrawal syndrome occurs and the inability to control the dose of alcohol consumed), the need for regular drinking increases, up to the loss of all other desires and complete personal degradation. In severe stages, a person suffering from alcoholism needs professional help to combat his disease.

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Attention! The information presented in the article is for informational purposes only. The materials in the article do not encourage self-treatment. Only a qualified doctor can make a diagnosis and make recommendations for treatment based on the individual characteristics of a particular patient.

Our civilization became acquainted with alcohol over 6 thousand years ago, since then it has become an integral attribute of the lives of millions of people and even entire cultures. Many of us have never wondered why our friends, loved ones and ourselves drink alcohol. It's time to look into this issue.
There are several basic reasons for drinking alcohol, they are as follows:

1. The desire to relax. Stress and nervous tension have begun to haunt modern man everywhere. After work or study, we have little time to recover and relax. Sometimes you just want to forget about all the troubles and tune in to a “positive wave”.

But it is very difficult to quickly change your emotional state. In this case, alcoholic drinks come to the rescue, which for some time allow a person not to remember life’s difficulties. Whatever sobriety fighters say, alcohol can be used as an antidepressant. The main thing is not to abuse (relax with alcohol once or twice a month); relieving everyday stress with alcohol leads to hangover and alcoholism.

2. Trying to become bolder. Among us there are individuals suffering from various complexes and phobias. Having been “taken to heart”, such people feel like real heroes, capable of doing great things (meeting a girl, dancing on a table, fighting with the first person they meet, etc.).

There are also more advanced cases when a person makes even serious decisions (getting a job, making a business deal) only after a few glasses of alcohol. In this situation, alcohol removes psychological restrictions, but does not solve the problem of insecurity itself. Therefore, insecure people need to learn to act decisively without the help of alcohol; here, alcoholic drinks are more likely to harm than help.

3. Social influence. Try staying sober at weddings, anniversaries and other celebrations. If you do not drink alcoholic beverages in such cases, you will be misunderstood and made an outcast. Any person is influenced by the environment in which he finds himself. We try to imitate those around us, seeking their favor. It's human nature, you can't argue with it.

We have two options. The first is to adapt (start drinking alcohol). The second is to change your environment. It is very difficult not to drink alcohol in a drinking company. They may not make comments to you just out of politeness, but mentally everyone present will give your behavior a negative assessment.

4. Love of alcoholic drinks. There are people who like the smell, taste or something else about alcohol. These are connoisseurs and gourmets who drink alcoholic beverages only for the pleasure of the process itself.

True connoisseurs know almost everything about their favorite alcoholic drink, and in many cases they can even prepare it themselves. It is in this group that the fewest alcoholics are found, since the drinking process itself is important here, and not the consequences that occur after drinking alcohol (good mood, lack of fear, etc.).

The situation is considered normal when a person is in the last group; in all other cases, it is worth thinking about your behavior.