Some people begin abusing alcohol at a young age while others don’t become addicted until later in life. Read more about the factors that cause people to become alcoholics at different ages.
There are several factors that determine a person’s susceptibility to drug and alcohol addiction. Among these factors is age. Studies have shown that teens in drug and alcohol rehab tend to experience stronger mental and physical withdrawal symptoms. Scientists believe this is a product of the fact that teens’ brains are still developing, leaving them particularly at risk to the short-term effects of drug and alcohol abuse.
Along with impacting how people recover from alcohol addiction, age also plays a role in why people become addicted in the first place. While there are certain factors that are common among all alcoholics (such as a likelihood of having parents who were addicts), there are also other factors that are common in younger alcoholics versus those who become addicted to alcohol and need treatment in a rehab center later in life.
Teens who end up in alcohol and drug rehabilitation usually start drinking by age 12 and steadily increase their alcohol consumption until they are alcoholics by the time they are in their late teens. Boys are more likely than girls to become alcoholics at a young age. Frequently there are underlying mental health problems such as attention deficit disorder that are associated with teen alcoholics. Teens with drinking problems also tend to have a less stable social network and poor coping skills.
Adult alcoholics who end up in an addiction center tend to drink because of outside forces. For example, a person might start drinking because of stress at work or trouble with their personal life. Instead of using alcohol as a social lubricant or way to have fun, they use alcohol to dull their senses and numb their mental pain and stress. In an addiction program, adult alcoholics are taught more positive ways to relieve their stress and manage difficult situations.