“What causes alcohol addiction?”

Addictions, whether alcohol, or other drugs, result from stimulating the pleasure centers in the brain. Chemicals for which the brain has receptors or mimic chemicals for which the brain has receptors, can stimulate other brain chemicals which are interpreted as pleasurable and the more those receptors are stimulated the more stimulation they require to produce the same sensation to the person. This is how addiction, in general, works.

There is not one cause. It does run in families. For many people, it is a coping strategy to numb themselves from emotional pain and evolves into an addiction.

There are genetic, psychiatric and environmental reasons.

Hi,Thank you for your question. There are many different causes of alcohol addiction and contributing factors, including stress, family history of addiction, mental illness, trauma, low self-esteem, drinking from an early age, genetics, having close friends or family members who drink, financial instability, cultural or religious influences, lack of other coping skills, peer pressure, etc. I hope this information has been helpful! Best, Jenna Torres, PsyD LifeStance Health