subject: Common Environmental Factors That Influence Many People To Develop Alcoholism [print this page] Many experts believed that genetics play a part in an individual's addiction to alcohol. Those who have a family history associated with alcohol drinking issues are more susceptible to alcoholism. But in most cases, the biggest influence merely comes from the environmental aspects that encourage drinking and make it difficult for many individuals to avoid the habit of consuming alcohol more than necessary.
According to medical experts from alcohol rehabilitation centers, alcohol addiction could pass down from one family to another. However, this is not specifically the reason for all cases of addiction. Some individuals can abuse other substances like prescription and illegal drugs and develop addictive personality behaviors from environmental factors such as family, friends and society.
Family Problems
Many parents who are abusing alcohol may bring up children who will have more positive views about alcoholism. Some experts of alcohol rehab centers said that drinking regularly and having a number of drinks at home may create future alcohol consumption problem for the children. Unless parents educate them about the harmful effects of alcoholism, the favorable views on addiction would remain in their minds until they grow up. If alcohol is making problems in the family, most young people will experience a high level of stress and emotional pain which may influence them to start seeking comforts from alcohol putting them at risk of developing alcohol dependency.
Friends
Having friends who are heavy drinkers may also influence a person to abuse alcohol. The strong temptations can be observed more in teenagers who start drinking at an early age. This situation could develop chances for an individual to be addicted to alcohol. In many cases, teenagers drink just to fit in with their peer group. Parents are advised to warn their children about the risks of alcohol addiction and take realistic disciplinary measures before they can create problems in the society.
Community Factors
The society or community where a person is residing will influence his way of life. For many people it would be more difficult to avoid the temptation of bad drinking habits when you are in the environment with communities that consider drinking a part of life. Most adults can build their alcohol consumption problems in local bars, pubs and clubs that promote drinking. Although consuming alcohol occasionally maybe harmless for some people, this situation often leads others to abuse the substance. Young people can also develop their drinking habits from televisions, movies and advertisings where alcohol is glamorized.
Alcohol addiction can make a person unable to resist the cravings in the real world no matter what genetic links he may possess. Early education about alcohol that shows people the harmful effects of heavy drinking can be the best option to prevent them from abusing the substance.
