People drink alcohol for many different reasons, like to relax, make friends, and forget about problems, and so on. Some people worry that if they drink too much alcohol too often, they will become dependent on it.
Some of the most common reasons why people drink are as follows:
To escape problems or stress
When you drink, your central nervous system (CNS) slows down, which can make you feel calm. This is why a lot of people who drink alcohol do it to deal with anxiety, stress, or any other bad feelings. Some people drink to forget about things in their lives that stress them out. When people are going through hard or stressful times, a drink might help them feel better. Alcohol can temporarily make you feel better, but it doesn’t help in the long run. That’s why alcohol withdrawal is important.
For Enjoyment
Because of how it makes them feel, some people drink to calm down. They drink when they are with other people, like at dinner parties, social gatherings, and holidays. They don’t need to drink a lot, though. They usually don’t have any problems with alcohol and know how to deal with it well.
Peer pressure and other social influences
Peer pressure is usually used to talk about teens, but people of any age can be influenced by their peers to drink alcohol. Most of the people in our society drink alcohol. It’s socially acceptable and legal, so it’s not unusual for people who aren’t drinking to drink while others around them are drinking.
Mental disorders
People often drink to feel better because they think their minds need a break. Some people with mental illness might need alcohol or drugs to get by. It could bring on depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, or all of those at once.
Genes and the environment, among other things
Studies have shown that a person’s genes can affect whether they get an alcohol-related disorder. Even though alcoholism can be caused by genes, it can also be caused by the environment or big events in a person’s life.
Researchers think that both genes and things in the environment contribute to this risk. People who genes that make them more likely to have become addicts may be more likely to get alcohol dependence disorder (AUD) if they deal with certain kinds of stress at home or at work.
