Expert: Jan Edward Williams - 3/2/2009

Question
what causes people who drink to get addicted to their first drink?

Answer
Hello Eric,
Your question is not an easy one to answer. Strictly speaking, no one becomes addicted after the first drink; it takes time to develop physical and psychological dependence upon a substance. However, speaking generally, there are individuals who have a reaction to that first drink that is far greater than most have, that is, they love the feeling so much they cannot wait to get it again, and again, and again, and pursue that feeling in the face of adverse consequences to the point of addiction. Often these people are persons who, because of alcoholism in their family history, are genetically predisposed to develop a problem with alcohol. It is theorized that such individuals may have a lower amount of the feel good chemicals in their brains such as serotonin, normally present, and when they have a drink of alcohol, that drink causes a flood of that missing chemical so they have an exaggerated response to the drink. There are personality traits that can also make a person vulnerable to the effects of alcohol, such as low self-esteem, past trauma, etc. It's a good question with many complicated answers.