Alcoholism is a chronic disease in which a person's body becomes dependent on alcohol. Alcohol dependence compels a person to drink, despite the problems that it causes with relationships, health and work. A teenager may develop alcoholism as a result of their genetic make-up or as a result of certain environmental factors. A parent or legal guardian can educate a teenager about alcoholism and how to manage or avoid the disorder.
Inheritable Trait
According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, children with a strong family history of alcoholism are at higher risk for developing the disorder. Alcoholism often develops in adolescents as an inheritable trait. Children who have alcoholic parents or grandparents have an increased risk of abusing alcohol and developing alcoholism as teenagers and adults.
Brain Function
The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism describes the teenage years as a critical period of addiction vulnerability. The reason for the vulnerability stems from the structural function of the brain, or the way a teenagers brain perceives and interprets emotions. The brain pathways in teenagers, or the neural circuits that enable people to experience motivation and rewarding experiences, are still developing. A teenager becomes more inclined to develop alcoholism when they drink because their brain responds to alcohol in an inappropriate way. The teenage brain experiences alcohol as more of a good feeling or emotion. A teenager's brain remembers the good feeling, making them more compelled to using alcohol over and over again to achieve that same emotional experience.
Emotional Influences
Drug Addiction Support says that teenagers may develop alcoholism as a way to block pain in their life. A teenager sometimes experiences pain within their family through emotional, sexual or physical abuse, states "The Good News Magazine." A teenager may deal with verbal abuse from their parents such as a parent hurling insults or obscenities at them. A parent may berate them in front of others or assign inappropriate punishments. A teenager may feel a sense of rejection from their family due to a parent withholding affection from them. Sexual abuse or physical abuse from a parent or other family member can cause pain in a teenager's life as well.
Peer Pressure
A teenager may develop alcoholism from the influence of peer pressure, reports the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. Teenagers who have friends that drink alcohol regularly tend to model or copy their behavior. Alcoholism develops over time because the teenager drinks alcohol on a regular basis and becomes physically dependent on it.
