Really understanding and getting to the root of the causes of alcoholism and drug addiction isn't straightforward - because they are complex illnesses by nature.
The fact that alcoholism and drug addiction is to a large degree hereditary due to genetic influences, certainly explains one of their major causes. But most significantly, we're largely shaped by our environment - parents, the media, our peers and our various experiences.
Now when looking at the role psychology plays in alcoholism and drug addiction - a large part of our psychological makeup is formed in our early childhood years. Primarily through our parents and family environment.
If our family environment is generally loving, supportive and stable through our early years especially, we'll develop a healthy sense of self-esteem, feel generally comfortable in our own skin, and be relatively well-adjusted.
Or if when we're young we, we have a more traumatic childhood - which could mean anything from losing a parent, having one of our parents addicted to drugs or alcohol, our parents divorcing, or anything that really effects us emotionally - it could result in us developing various ways to cope with that, which can then manifest in our lives in all sorts of different ways.
These could include any or a combination of anger, depression, anxiety, eating disorders, withdrawing from society, excessive fear and worry, and substance abuse - which in turn can lead to alcoholism and drug addiction.
Chances are - speak to an alcoholic or drug addict - that there will be a significant trauma or event that affected them, most likely when they were young. In my case it was having an alcoholic parent and the strain that put on our family.
It doesn't, of course, always happen like that because naturally you will find that there are lots of addicts who had stable and loving upbringings. But when trying to understand the psychology of alcoholism and addiction, hopefully what I've shared with you will help. - 15634
The fact that alcoholism and drug addiction is to a large degree hereditary due to genetic influences, certainly explains one of their major causes. But most significantly, we're largely shaped by our environment - parents, the media, our peers and our various experiences.
Now when looking at the role psychology plays in alcoholism and drug addiction - a large part of our psychological makeup is formed in our early childhood years. Primarily through our parents and family environment.
If our family environment is generally loving, supportive and stable through our early years especially, we'll develop a healthy sense of self-esteem, feel generally comfortable in our own skin, and be relatively well-adjusted.
Or if when we're young we, we have a more traumatic childhood - which could mean anything from losing a parent, having one of our parents addicted to drugs or alcohol, our parents divorcing, or anything that really effects us emotionally - it could result in us developing various ways to cope with that, which can then manifest in our lives in all sorts of different ways.
These could include any or a combination of anger, depression, anxiety, eating disorders, withdrawing from society, excessive fear and worry, and substance abuse - which in turn can lead to alcoholism and drug addiction.
Chances are - speak to an alcoholic or drug addict - that there will be a significant trauma or event that affected them, most likely when they were young. In my case it was having an alcoholic parent and the strain that put on our family.
It doesn't, of course, always happen like that because naturally you will find that there are lots of addicts who had stable and loving upbringings. But when trying to understand the psychology of alcoholism and addiction, hopefully what I've shared with you will help. - 15634
About the Author:
Having fought and struggled through his own addictions, Carl-Peter created his Alcoholism and Drug Addiction Help website to provide excellent info others. To read more on Addiction/Alcoholism and Psychology - please feel free to click on the link.
