Alcohol abuse is the phase before addiction. Usually, there is a 90% chance that someone who abuses alcohol will eventually end up addicted.
The reason for this is, they have reached the stage where alcohol is what they depend on to feel good and cope with whatever situation or condition they find themselves in.
There is no specific way for the development of alcohol abuse. Better put, there are various possible streams for alcohol abuse development.
One of such streams is early age drinking. Some people began drinking at an early age because of either their parents or friends. At this stage, they do not have any justifiable reason for taking alcohol, but since their parents are taking it, they follow their lead too.
Typically, teenager would drink alcohol with their friends because they do not want to be left out. With time, they develop alcohol dependence where they find it very hard to quit.
Another possible stream responsible for the development of alcohol abuse is mental health problems. People who experience anxiety and depression are more likely to abuse alcohol.
This is because, alcohol makes them cope with these conditions temporarily. However, it gets to a time where they cannot cope with it anymore and they have to increase the intake.
In addition to this, there are people who because of stress, start abusing alcohol and this is based in misinformation.
Alcohol does not help stress go away entirely, the best it can do is to subside it for some hours. This does not mean that the stress levels have entirely gone down.
People who are greatly stressed at their jobs are usually prone to abusing alcohol and they become addicted later on.
In order to prevent alcohol abuse, it is best to inculcate healthy methods. A nutritious diet is needed. Moreso, it is beneficial to undergo exercise and sleep well. It is also necessary to pay a visit to the doctor on a regular basis for health checks in order to prevent any underlying medical problem.