Alcoholism - Causes

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Highlights	Complications	Therapy
Introduction	Diagnosis	Medications
Causes	Treatment for Alcoholism	Resources
Risk Factors	Treatment for Alcohol Withdrawal	References

Dopamine produces euphoria and a sensation of being rewarded. Repeated alcohol use increases sensitivity to dopamine.
Serotonin produces feelings of well-being.
Opioid peptides are important for well-being.

Over time, however, heavy alcohol use appears to deplete the stores of dopamine and serotonin. Persistent drinking, therefore, eventually fails to restore mood, but by then the drinker has been conditioned to believe that alcohol will improve spirits (even though it does not).

Social and Emotional Causes of Alcoholic Relapse

Between 80 - 90% of people treated for alcoholism relapse, even after years of abstinence. Patients and their caregivers should understand that relapses of alcoholism are analogous to recurrent flare-ups of chronic physical diseases. According to one study, three factors placed a person at high risk for relapse:

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Frustration and anger
Social pressure
Internal temptation

Another study suggests that impaired sleep is also an important predictor of relapse.

Mental and Emotional Stress. Alcohol blocks out emotional pain and is often perceived as a loyal friend when human relationships fail. It is also associated with freedom and with a loss of inhibition that offsets the tedium of daily routines. When the alcoholic tries to quit drinking, the brain seeks to restore what it perceives to be its equilibrium. The brain's best weapons to achieve this are depression, anxiety, and stress (the emotional equivalents of physical pain), which are produced by brain chemical imbalances. These negative moods continue to tempt alcoholics to return to drinking long after physical withdrawal symptoms have abated.

Even intelligence is no ally in this process, for the over-agitated brain will use all its powers of rationalization to persuade the patient to return to drinking. According to one study, having a high or low IQ has little effect on quitting. However, according to this study, a high verbal ability may aid the alcoholic in remaining sober.

It is important to realize that any life change, even changes for the better, may cause temporary grief and anxiety. With time and the substitution of healthier pleasures, this emotional turmoil weakens and can be overcome.