The causes of alcoholism are due to several factors. Most people use alcohol to change how they feel because they want to feel better or different. They use alcohol for the perceived benefits, or the benefits experienced, not for the potential harm. People use alcohol to relax, have fun, to be part of a group, out of curiosity, and to escape from physical and/or psychological pain. Many of the reasons young people use alcohol are the same reasons adults use alcohol.

The general theory is that alcoholism can be broken down into two basic phases, problem drinking and alcohol addiction. Problem drinking occurs when alcohol is used repetitively, to relieve stress, anxiety, other emotional problems, or combinations of these problems. Problem drinking can be characterized as the early stages of alcohol addiction or alcoholism. People often become dependent on alcohol after discovering that it helps relieve stress, and because alcohol is used more and more frequently, as stressful situations arise, a pattern of abuse develops. This is unfortunate because the more dependent a person is on alcohol, the less stress they can actually handle. This relationship is inversely proportional, meaning that as the dependence on alcohol increases, the ability to effectively deal with stress decreases. (Stress is only an example, you could literally, substitute almost any emotional problem into this equation.) This dependence slowly builds until the individual is drinking nearly constantly. In extreme cases, this does not just mean every evening, but constantly, during all hours of the day, from the time they get up until the time they go to bed, or pass out. As tragic as it sounds, this happens every day, in the smallest towns and the largest cities, all over the world. It is also important to remember that many alcoholics may continue for extended periods of time to lead functional, relatively balanced, and productive lives.

The causes of alcoholism also includes the drinkers use alcohol to "self-medicate" themselves. This means that alcohol is used to try to relieve anxiety, depression, tension, loneliness, self-doubt or unhappiness. No one wants to be an alcoholic, but this doesn’t stop people from getting addicted. The most commonly asked question is simply - how? How could my son, daughter, father, sister, or brother become a liar, a thief, someone who cannot be trusted? How could this happen? And why won’t they stop?

Different types of alcohol use

Alcohol use can be categorized into five main areas, with most drug users falling into the experimental and recreational categories. Harms associated with alcohol use can occur at all levels of use.

Experimental use: when a person tries drinking alcohol once or twice out of curiosity. Novice users run the risk of a lack of tolerance to alcohol, and of not knowing how they will react, as well as the risks that may be associated with the effects of alcohol.

Recreational use: where a person chooses to use alcohol for enjoyment, particularly to enhance a mood or social occasion.

Situational use: where alcohol is used to cope with the demands of particular situations.

Intensive use: also known as "bingeing", where a person consumes a heavy amount of alcohol over a short period of time, or use is continuous over a number of days or weeks.

Dependent use: where a person becomes dependent on alcohol after prolonged or heavy use over time. They feel a need to drink consistently in order to feel normal, or to avoid uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms. Dependence can be psychological, physical, or both. Only a relatively small number of alcohol users become dependent alcoholics.

It is common for people to move between categories, and one stage does not inevitably lead to the next. Movement between categories occurs for complex reasons, as a person attempts to balance the perceived benefits from using alcohol against what the person believes are the costs drinking.

The causes of alcoholism depends on the nature of the person and the circumstances under which it is taken. There has been some speculation that some people may be more prone to alcoholism than others. Research is being carried out into whether there may even be genes that predispose certain people to addiction. Social circumstances are important in alcohol abuse. Peer pressure, emotional distress and low self-esteem can all lead individuals to abuse alcohol. Ease of access to drugs is another influence. People abuse alcohol for a reason. Understanding what the person's motivation is helps to explain why that person is abusing alcohol.

Here are a few more causes of alcoholism:

• changes in the brain take place as a result from alcohol use contribute to addiction and abuse
• alcohol possess reinforcing qualities that make it more addictive than others
• easy access, and environmental, psychological, and cultural factors play a role in who starts or continues to abuse alcohol
• alcohol's "numbing" effects help to ease the emotional/physical pain that the individual is experiencing
• alcohol produces a sense of euphoria that make the individual feel good
• Alcoholism is also caused because produces a rapid and intense change in mood; or because it produces painful withdrawal symptoms when stopped suddenly.
• Social learning is considered the most important single factor in the cause of alcoholism. It includes patterns of use in the addict's family or subculture, peer pressure, and advertising or media influence.

The first thing you must understand about addiction is that alcohol basically a painkiller. It chemically kills physical or emotional pain and alter the mind’s perception of reality. It makes people numb. For alcohol to be attractive to a person there must first be some underlying unhappiness, sense of hopelessness, or physical pain.

As a result of their experiences created by the biological reinforcement and high tolerance, the person comes to believe that alcohol is good for them and will magically fix them or make them better. They start to develop an addictive belief system. They come to view people who support their alcohol use as friends and people who fail to support it as their enemies.

At this point the person is experiencing both positive and negative reinforcement to keep using. If they continue to use they experience euphoria and pain relief. This occurs because the brain releases large amounts of reward chemicals when they use alcohol. If they stop using, they experience dysphoria or pain and suffering. They start to experience low grade agitated depression and the inability to experience pleasure. They begin to believe that they have no choice but to keep drinking.