According to the National Library of Medicine, over 17 million Americans are alcoholics or have alcohol abuse problems. Knowing about alcohol addiction factors can help potential alcoholics and their families identify problems and seek treatment quickly. Alcoholism is a disease characterized by loss of control over drinking despite social, economic and legal pressure to stop abusing alcohol. Anyone can become an alcoholic, but alcohol addiction factors can play a crucial role in the development of full-blown alcoholism.
Family History
The Mayo Clinic states that a family history of alcoholism greatly increases the potential for alcohol abuse and addiction. According to an article on the National Library of Medicine website, a cluster of genes has been identified and implicated in alcoholism, bolstering the argument that it is an inherited disease.
Age
A second alcohol addiction factor includes the age at which a person began drinking. The younger someone starts drinking, the more likely that they will become addicted. The Mayo Clinic reports that people who begin drinking on or before age 16 will more likely become alcoholics.
Gender
A third factor in alcohol addiction includes gender. Men prove more than twice as likely to become alcoholics as women, according to the website AlcoholismStatistics.com. Approximately 9.8 million men in America today have become alcoholics compared with 3.9 women alcoholics.
Psychological Conditions
Several psychological conditions also appear to increase the risk factors for alcohol. Patients with anxiety disorder may seek to calm panic attacks through the depressive effects of alcohol. Patients with depression may also abuse alcohol.
