The risk factors of alcoholism include:
• Brain chemistry imbalance. As a person engages in a regular habit of drinking, he (she) has a chemical changes in the brain. Alcohol consumption depletes gamma-aminobutyric acid, the chemical responsible for inhibiting impulsiveness and it increases the production of glutamate (which excites the nervous system) and norepenephrine (a stress-producing hormone). Alcohol also acts in the system to release more dopamine and serotonin, chemicals that produce euphoria and a sense of well-being. The active drinker is prone to seek more alcohol to accomplish two things: reduce the agitation brought on by hyperactivity in the brain; and restore the pleasure response in the brain stimulated by the alcohol.
• Genetics. Trere is a theory that  about 50% of all cases of alcoholism are primarily caused by genetics. One study showed that the amygdala—the area of the brain thought to play a role in emotional craving—was smaller in individuals with a family history of alcoholism. Similarly, some people with alcoholism may have an inherited dysfunction in the transmission of serotonin.
• Emotional and mental stress. Alcohol usually blocks emotional pain. It is frequently resorted to as a “cover up” during times of temporary or ongoing stress or sorrow such as that   experienced with the loss of a loved one or relationship, unresolved family tensions and chronic work stress.
• Psychological factors. Low self-esteem and depression make one more defenceless, to excessive drinking and alcoholism.
• Social and cultural pressures. The media and popular culture are filled with messages and images that legitimize or even glamorize frequent or excessive drinking. Also, associating with people who are able to drink socially and encourage the same behavior in those around them is dangerous to the alcoholic trying to abstain from drinking.