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Alcohol Addiction

Maya Malkin, National Director of Addiction Prevention and Treatment, Maccabi Healthcare Services
17 September 2025

Alcohol addiction (alcoholism) is a destructive dependence that affects all areas of life. Unlike other drugs, the availability and legality of alcohol, along with its social acceptance, make it harder to recognize the problem. Alcohol affects areas of the brain involved in motivation, memory, and impulse control. Chronic drinking causes structural and functional changes that make it difficult to quit without professional help.

Causes of Addiction

  • Genetic predisposition: About 40%–70% of the risk is linked to heredity.
  • Psychological factors: Depression, anxiety, trauma, and low self-esteem.
  • Social influence: Peer pressure, cultural norms, and easy availability.
  • Early onset: Drinking at a young age, especially when combined with other substances.

Identifying Addiction

  • Common symptoms include: A growing need to drink, physical withdrawal symptoms, neglect of responsibilities, and continued use despite negative consequences (to health, work, relationships, or finances).
  • Health consequences include: Cognitive impairment, physical damage (liver, heart), risk of psychosis, and sleep problems.

Treatment Options

  • Psychological therapy: For example, CBT to identify drinking patterns and develop coping strategies.
  • Group therapy: Support groups such as AA (free of charge) provide community and encouragement.
  • Medication: Prescription drugs to manage withdrawal symptoms or related conditions, under medical supervision.

How to Get Help

You can reach out to support groups like AA, your primary care doctor, an addictions unit in the welfare department, or public rehab clinics and inpatient facilities (free of charge).

Alcohol addiction (alcoholism) is a condition in which drinking becomes emotionally or physically addictive, and negatively affects health, relationships, or daily functioning. Unlike other drugs and addictive substances, alcohol is legal in Israel, easy to obtain, and even part of the culture, like drinking wine on holidays. This is one of the reasons why alcohol is perceived as normative.

Identifying alcohol addiction

Addiction can manifest itself in a constant need to drink alcohol, difficulty stopping use, and continued use despite negative implications on health, work, and personal life. How can you tell when a drink or two is too much? These are the main symptoms and their manifestations, which can help you examine your behavior or the behavior of those close to you. The presence of one or more of the following symptoms indicates a high chance of alcohol addiction:

  • Increased use

    Needing to drink larger amounts of alcohol each time to achieve the same effect. For example, if one or two drinks were enough in the past, now you need a larger amount and can even drink an entire bottle.

  • Withdrawal symptoms

    Feelings of shaking, sweating, nausea, and hallucinations when you stop drinking. That is, if you drank regularly and stopped suddenly, there is a high chance that physical symptoms will accompany withdrawal.

  • Neglect of responsibility

    Continuing to drink despite a decrease in work or school performance, sometimes to the point of being fired or dropping out of school. In addition, neglecting family or social responsibilities such as being away from home, harming relationships and parenting.

  • Continued use despite negative implications

    Even though continued alcohol consumption creates impairment in functions and problems in the family or relationship, work, financial situation, health and even legal problems, there is a physical and mental need to continue drinking to get drunk.

The effects of alcohol addiction on health

  • Cognitive impairment: Decreased ability to concentrate, make decisions, regulate emotions, and control impulses.
  • Neurological effects: Chronic drinking can cause changes in the structure and function of the brain, which also makes it difficult to stop drinking without professional help.
  • Physical damage: Damage to the liver, digestive system, heart, and blood vessels.
  • Risk of psychosis: Heavy alcohol use can increase the risk of psychotic episodes.
  • Sleep problems: Alcohol can disrupt sleep patterns and lead to chronic sleep problems.

Causes of alcohol addiction

Alcohol addiction results from a combination of biological, psychological, and social factors:

Studies indicate that approximately 40% to 70% of the risk of addiction is attributed to genetic factors. Alcohol addiction is estimated to have a heritability of approximately 50%, while addiction to other drugs may reach up to 70%. The genetic predisposition to addiction is also expressed at the family level: Children of addicted parents are at higher risk of developing addiction themselves, even when they grow up in a different environment, as adoption studies show.

Depression, anxiety, childhood trauma and low self-image increase the risk, especially when alcohol is used as a means of relaxation or escape.

Cultural norms, social pressure, high availability and complex family relationships can lead to problematic use.

Especially when used in combination with other substances increases the risk of developing addiction.

Treatment options for alcohol addiction

Psychological treatment or psychotherapy

Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), for example, can help identify the thoughts and behaviors that lead to alcohol use and develop healthier ways to cope with stress and other triggers.

Group therapy

Joining support groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) can provide a sense of community, encouragement, and accountability during the recovery process. Participation in these groups, which are located throughout the country, is free of charge.

Medication

Prescription drugs can help manage withdrawal symptoms and treat associated mental health conditions. To receive a prescription, you must undergo a clinical examination with your primary physician and, if necessary, with a mental health professional. The professionals will diagnose, refer you to appropriate treatment, and monitor the situation.

Factors that can make withdrawal difficult

  1. Social accessibility: Alcohol is legal and common at social events, making it difficult to abstain.
  2. Physical withdrawal symptoms: Stopping drinking abruptly can cause severe withdrawal symptoms, including seizures and hallucinations.
  3. Social denial: Because of the social legitimacy of drinking, many do not recognize the problem or seek treatment at a late stage.

It is important to emphasize that alcohol addiction is an addiction like all addictions and can be severe and, of course, harmful to health, the user, their environment and family, and daily functioning, including career and personal development.

Relapse rates for alcohol addiction

Relapse rates among people treated for alcohol addiction are relatively high. Studies indicate that approximately 68.4% of people with alcohol addiction experience relapse after treatment. This rate is higher than other addictions, such as cocaine (61.9%) and methamphetamine (52.2%).

Seeking help with alcohol withdrawal

If you or someone you know is struggling with alcohol addiction, here are some steps you can take right now:

  1. Find an AA (Alcoholics Anonymous) support group – there are groups across the country, and participation is free.
  2. Contact your primary care doctor through your health maintenance organization (HMO).
  3. Reach out to the addictions unit in the welfare department of your city or local authority.
  4. Contact one of the public rehab hospitals (Hebrew) or an addiction treatment clinic for professional counseling and support.

Important to know

Important to know

Withdrawal from physical and mental care in the public healthcare system is free of charge. However, referrals to private hospitalization or treatment facilities incur costs that the patient must cover.