Other contributing factors include peer pressure, cultural sanctions of alcohol use, and states such as depression or anxiety. About 1 in 10 drinkers become dependent on alcohol. Some drinkers are susceptible to alcohol dependence from the first drink. Others go through stages of alcohol use, alcohol abuse, and finally alcohol dependence. The first stage, alcohol use, implies social drinking.
Social drinkers use alcohol without significant mood swings.
They also do not develop cravings for the drug. This stage does not imply a drinking problem. It is accompanied by unwanted behavioral consequences such as missed classes, missed work, or destructive actions. Symptoms of abuse to one s body include double vision, slurred speech, loss of coordination, vomiting, black-outs, or hangovers. The third stage, alcohol dependence, involves both psychological and physical dependence.