Alcoholism - and any addiction for that matter is extremely complex. Getting to the root of what causes alcoholism and addiction certainly isn't straightforward.
Genetic factors certainly play a role - but I believe it's the impact of the environment that is most telling because ultimately we're shaped by our environment - parents and family especially, friends, experiences etc.
Now when looking at the role psychology plays in alcoholism and drug addiction - a large part of our psychological makeup is formed in our early childhood years. Primarily through our parents and family environment.
If we are brought up in a home environment that is mostly supportive, loving, stable and secure - we'll tend to develop a healthy sense of who are, good self-esteem and be fairly well-adjusted.
However, if our younger years are filled with some sort of trauma, instability or emotional turmoil - like there being alcoholism in the family, abuse, losing a loved one, our parents separating, or anything we regard as being traumatic - we tend to create all sorts of coping mechanisms to help us deal with that, which can then show up in our lives in a number of different ways.
These could include any or a combination of anger, depression, anxiety, eating disorders, withdrawing from society, excessive fear and worry, and substance abuse - which in turn can lead to alcoholism and drug addiction.
If you speak to someone who has suffered from alcoholism or drug addiction, chances are there will be something pretty traumatic that happened to them when they were young. Having a parent that struggled with alcoholism was my main one - and obviously the impact that then had on our family.
It doesn't, of course, always happen like that because naturally you will find that there are lots of addicts who had stable and loving upbringings. But when trying to understand the psychology of alcoholism and addiction, hopefully what I've shared with you will help.
Genetic factors certainly play a role - but I believe it's the impact of the environment that is most telling because ultimately we're shaped by our environment - parents and family especially, friends, experiences etc.
Now when looking at the role psychology plays in alcoholism and drug addiction - a large part of our psychological makeup is formed in our early childhood years. Primarily through our parents and family environment.
If we are brought up in a home environment that is mostly supportive, loving, stable and secure - we'll tend to develop a healthy sense of who are, good self-esteem and be fairly well-adjusted.
However, if our younger years are filled with some sort of trauma, instability or emotional turmoil - like there being alcoholism in the family, abuse, losing a loved one, our parents separating, or anything we regard as being traumatic - we tend to create all sorts of coping mechanisms to help us deal with that, which can then show up in our lives in a number of different ways.
These could include any or a combination of anger, depression, anxiety, eating disorders, withdrawing from society, excessive fear and worry, and substance abuse - which in turn can lead to alcoholism and drug addiction.
If you speak to someone who has suffered from alcoholism or drug addiction, chances are there will be something pretty traumatic that happened to them when they were young. Having a parent that struggled with alcoholism was my main one - and obviously the impact that then had on our family.
It doesn't, of course, always happen like that because naturally you will find that there are lots of addicts who had stable and loving upbringings. But when trying to understand the psychology of alcoholism and addiction, hopefully what I've shared with you will help.
About the Author:
Understanding how addiction and alcoholism evolves through the alcoholism stages can be very helpful in understanding this disease. Also knowing the drug and alcohol withdrawal process will ensure proper help and treatment is received.
1 comment:
I started drinking and smoking when I was a teenager, in order to rebel against my parents. After a while, the reasons changed - these vices me a sense of comfort, perhaps through conditioning, whenever something bad would happen. No I just smoke because I can't find any reason to stop. It's funny how something that started because of a petty retaliation evolved into a problem in its own.
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