Do you know someone who used to drink only when they went out with friends, but now suddenly they seem to drink all the time? Most people assume that it takes years of regular drinking to become addicted to alcohol. The fact is, however, that how long it takes to be addicted to alcohol is different for every person. Some people do take years to be addicted to alcohol, but for others it can take only weeks.
How Does Alcohol Addiction Develop?
Alcohol addiction, also called alcohol use disorder, can occur when a person uses alcohol repeatedly to produce pleasure and block out emotional distress or pain. A person who does this feels pleasurable feelings when under the influence of alcohol, but when that influence wears off, negative emotions take over. To reduce the negative feelings and find that pleasurable place, the person drinks again. Eventually the person gets stuck in this cycle of drinking to get rid of the bad feelings and they can’t stop.
What Are the Stages of Alcohol Addiction?
According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), alcohol addiction is a repeating cycle that happens in three stages:
- Binge/Intoxication Stage: During this stage, the part of the brain that contains the brain’s reward system is repeatedly activated through drinking. The person who drinks experiences the pleasant feelings that alcohol causes, such as euphoria, less anxiety, and an easier time talking to people. Activating this reward system again and again changes how this part of the brain reacts to alcohol, making it more likely that the person will seek those feelings again through drinking.
- Negative Affect/Withdrawal Stage: If a person who becomes addicted to alcohol stops drinking, they experience symptoms of withdrawal that can include both physical and emotional pain, difficulty sleeping, nausea, irritability, anxiety, and other symptoms. The person now drinks not to experience pleasurable feelings, but to avoid feeling negative symptoms.
- Preoccupation/Anticipation Stage: When the person who is addicted to alcohol stops drinking, they start looking forward to the next time they will be able to drink and become preoccupied with how they will get more alcohol. The part of the brain that controls decision making and organizational skills is impaired by alcohol addiction, causing this type of thinking to recur every time the person stops consuming alcohol.
A person who is becoming addicted to alcohol can cycle through these stages over a period of weeks or months, or they can repeat this cycle several times in one day. The more a person repeats this cycle, the less time it takes to become addicted to alcohol.
Who is at Risk for Alcohol Addiction?
Anyone can become addicted to alcohol, but some people are more at risk. The NIAAA reports that the following factors can put a person at a greater risk of becoming addicted to alcohol:
- A family history of problems with alcohol: Genetics plays a large role, but the drinking patterns that a person watched their parents engaging in also contributes.
- Drinking at a young age: The 2022 National Survey on Drug Use and Health revealed that people who started drinking before the age of 15 were over three times as likely to report having an alcohol use disorder than those who waited until age 21.
- A history of childhood trauma: This history also puts people at risk for becoming addicted to alcohol.
- Certain mental health disorders: Mental health conditions, such as depression or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are also associated with an increased risk for alcohol use disorder.
It is important to remember that having one of these risk factors does not mean that a person will develop an alcohol use disorder, and that just because a person has an alcohol use disorder does not mean that they have one of these risk factors.
How Can a Person Who is Addicted to Alcohol Get Help?
No matter how long it takes for a person to become addicted to alcohol, it is important for that person to seek help to overcome the addiction. Once the toxic effects of alcohol are removed from a person’s system, it is important for that person to seek counseling through an outpatient treatment program. Ray Recovery offers such a program. Ray Recovery uses evidence-based addiction treatment approaches that are holistic and individualized for each person. Some of the therapeutic approaches that Ray Recovery uses include:
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
- Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy
- Dialectical Behavioral Therapy
- Motivational interviewing
These and other treatment techniques can help a person replace unhealthy, addiction-related behaviors with healthy behaviors, alternate stress management techniques, and strategies for managing cravings. If you have become addicted to alcohol or if someone you know is showing the signs of an alcohol use disorder, don’t wait. Call Ray Recovery to get help at our alcohol rehab center today at 888.839.2606.
