Alcohol Abuse and Dependence

What Increases Your Risk

People don't drink to become alcoholic. And many people drink alcohol throughout their lives without a problem. Why do some people abuse alcohol and become dependent on it, while others don't?

Certain things make an alcohol problem more likely. These are called risk factors.

Risk factors you can't change include:^{3, 4}

• Genes. People with alcohol problems often have a family history of alcohol abuse and dependence.
• Gender. A man is 3 times more likely to develop problems with alcohol than a woman is.
• Early use. The younger you were when you first started drinking alcohol, the higher your risk is for developing alcohol problems later as an adult.

Risk factors you can change include:^{3, 4}

• Mental health. If you have mental health problems, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, or anxiety disorders, you are more likely to use alcohol. It's common to use alcohol to ease the pain of these conditions.⁵
• Use of other substances. You are more likely to abuse alcohol if you abuse other things, such as tobacco, illegal drugs, or prescription medicines.
• Environment. If you live in an area where alcohol is easy to get, people drink a lot, or heavy drinking is accepted as part of life, you are more likely to drink.
• Friends. Your friends may influence you to drink by directly urging you to or by drinking when you're around them.
• Problems with others. You may be more likely to drink when you are having problems in your family or with friends.
• Not having purpose or satisfaction in your life. If you have no activities that give you a sense of purpose, you may be more likely to drink. A satisfying job or schoolwork or volunteer activities can give your life purpose and meaning.

Just because you have risk factors for alcohol problems doesn't mean you'll have a drinking problem. A person with many risk factors won't always develop alcoholism. And a person with no risk factors can become dependent on alcohol.