Causes of alcohol dependence
There isn’t one main cause of alcohol dependence. People drink alcohol for many different reasons. You may, for example, use alcohol as a way of dealing with anxiety and depression. However, although it may help you dismiss your problems in the short term, alcohol actually makes anxiety and depression worse because it interacts with chemicals called neurotransmitters in your brain that alter your mood.
Social factors, such as the affordability and availability of alcohol, peer pressure and the buying of rounds in groups may have a role in causing alcohol dependency.
Alcohol dependence can run in families – if one of your parents is dependent on alcohol, you’re four times more likely to develop it too.