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Is alcoholism hereditary?

Posted: Jan 25, 2010

Thoughts, opinions, comments?

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A tendency towards it is - nm.

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alcoholism - oldone

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I agree, the tendency toward alcoholism is hereditary. In fact, I believe that if a parent is an alcoholic the chances of the child being an alcoholic is 2 fold. I wonder if this is because someone's (especially a child's) life is so affected when they live with an alcoholic, they tend to react as the alcoholic does. Good idea to read up on it. Read the 12 steps. Never had a drinking problem myself but can see where some of my reactions to things over the years are similar to an alcoholic's reactions. Alcohol has had a deep effect on me. Thankfully, the significant alcoholic in my life was clean and sober for the last 13 years of her life.

Be careful of "labels" sm - wisernow

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This is a loaded question. If one grows up around alcohol being a quick fix or the only fix for a stressful situation (or a happy one) then of course, they may reach for a drink when things go wrong or (right). Alternative choices for stress such as meditation, exercise, healthier ways of coping may be all one needs. Temptation is always out there. I found once you get into delving into programs, etc., the community will "label" you and gossip when all you have is a coping problem. Believe me, these programs can be lifesaving for some; stressful for those who are going through a rough time. Picture it as searching for a religion and being prostelitized (sp?). Explore all options, do a lot of reading and research, try or have your loved one try better steps to healthy living before you put a label on someone or yourself that doesn't belong there. They won't let it go away. Research, research and work, work at a healthy choice for seeking out answers. Is there a gene for it? Perhaps - but there's also a gene for diabetes and if you eat right and take care of yourself, you may never get it. Education.

addiction - chelle

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Maybe it's not so much alcoholism that is hereditary, but addiction in general seems to be possible.

Addiction - NA/AA

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Speaking just for me, drug addiction or alcoholism (an addiction is an addiction is an addiction) is a disease. In recovery I consider myself only in remission. All addicts are only one drug or drink away from a relapse. I don't know why the original poster asked and it is none of my business, but if you have concerns why not attend some "open" meeing of AA (meaning anyone is welcome) and do the reading and research. I personally did not do any, I knew I was an addict from day one until I stumbled into rehab many, many years later.

Speaking just for me, and with all due respect, telling someone who is sick not to get help because you might become labeled or be gossiped about keeps a lot of people sick. I don't care what anyone says about me. In active addiction, no one could have called me anything worse than what I had not already called myself. Now in recovery I know people who say those things are just "amateurs" when it comes to putting someone down because addicts put themselves down more than anyone.

Someone else mentioned reading the 12 steps. I believe a 12 step program can help you with anything you are struggling with. And besides, they are great rules to live by. There can't be anything wrong if it is basically suggesting that you "clean house (take a daily personal inventory), trust in God, and help others. And with that I will pass.

I have to disagree with you about it being a disease. - wannie

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It is an addiction, plain and simple. Drinking is a choice one makes, just like overeating is a choice one makes.

I say this because I live with an alcoholic. He laid down alcohol without any medical help for almost 3 years. For whatever reason, he DECIDED to start drinking again this past Auguts. It WAS A CHOICE HE MADE. IT WAS NOT A DISEASE THAT HE COULDN'T HELP. HE MADE THE CHOICE.

exactly right. It is not a disease and it is not hereditary, - sm

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it is a self-inflicted evil by bad choice!

addiction - CH ALUM

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After reading these I can recognize a few who need Al-Anon, a few who if they really are interested need to learn about the nature of addiction, one addict who has been there and done that, and some who seem to have real unresolved issues. Do not mean to get anyone angry, just some observations. Interesting, although extremely complicated topic.

You are probably addressing me and that's fine. - wannie

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Personally, I want no part of Al-Anon or anything else like that. My husband went through rehab several years ago and I was right there with him through that. Poured out my guts in front of people that I didn't know. Had to discuss things that were nobody's business. Never again do I plan to a part of anything of the sort. It is an addiction, but it is NOT a disease. Overeating is an addition, but it is not a disease. Smoking is an addiction, but it is not a disease. I truly believe try to hide behind the "disease" thing because that makes it more acceptable. Sure, there may be a tendency for alcoholism if one grows up in that environment, just as being overweight, smoking, etc. All of those are choices each of us makes. We either stay away from those or we pick them and become addicted, not diseased.

So true, blaming it on heredity and calling it a disease - sm

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are just excuses for people who do not want to quit. Further, not all people suffer from withdrawal symptoms. I smoked for 20 years and I quit from 1 day to the other. No withdrawal symptoms at all. It's all a question of willpower.

I would say no, it is not hereditary, it is rather - sm

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copying the parents' or whomever's behavior, especially by youngsters who think "if my parents do it, it cannot be so wrong, then they get hooked.
Monkey see, monkey do.

When "studies" tell us that alcoholism is hereditary, isn't this a death sentence in itself? An inherited gene (?) that somebody with alcoholic parents cannot fight? Or is it an excuse for not being able (or not wanting)to stop?
It is not a disease, it's an addiction.

Addiction is a consequence of choices - it is not a disease

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nm

where is your explanation for this comment? - n/m

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None needed - Self-Explanatory

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nm

yes, I agree 100% with that - sm

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the body will "crave" what you put into it if you like the sensation it gives you.

Does not matter what:
Food, drugs, sex, anything for that matter.

One can determine what the body "craves," we teach the body what to crave.

A rehab is essentially a "decraving" facility.

..I forgot #1 "craving": Tobacco - nm

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nm

As indicated above there is a predisposition to it - sm -

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if parents are alcoholics. The children need to especially careful not to follow in parent's footstep. Both my parents, especially my mom, were heavy drinkers. When I was pregnant with my first child, my brothers and dad did an intervention with my mom, telling her she had to quit or she'd never live to see her grandchild (she could drink a 5L wine box in 2 days). She quit that day cold turkey, as did my dad. I emptied their house of all alcohol. She stayed sober until she died 6.5 years later at 68. Don't really know though if the drinking had anything to do with it, but presume it was a contributing factor, in any case it was a young age to die. My dad is now drinking again, supposedly just a glass of red wine a day but at Christmas I saw him suck down 3, don't know if that is the norm but I really hope not. Considering he takes BP meds and Viagra I was less than thrilled to see that. I beieve there is some gene that can pre-dispose you to alcholism. I assume that my brothers and I have it. I do drink but not to excess, though do have a glass of wine daily, though been thinking myself to knock it off and keep that to just the weekends. Certainly cannot hurt.

Still, I would rather say it can become a force of habit - sm

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and people like the taste and also the feeling they get aftef 1 or 2 drinks, it's tragic if people do not know when to stop.
I think that there are people who have an addictive personality.
Those, whatever they take, take it in excess and if they stop one addiction they replace it with another.
So, they better think twice to what they get addicted.

disease v personality defect - an

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Replacing one addiction with another, or having what some call an addictive personality are classic for disease. Something you are born with, not something you observed or learned from others.

yes, therefore I said they have to be careful to what - sm

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they get addicted to.

An addiction could turns into a disease.

Those people cannot drink moderately, smoke moderately, eat moderately, they will do it in excess. There are people who are addicted to sex, those are the adulteres and others...

Usually one succumbs to 1 addiction at a time, some switch to another, and some have multiple at the same time.

Then there are those who use alcohol as painkiller, to numb their emotional pain.

Addiction can lead to getting a disease - due to the effects of a given substance

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But addiction itself is NOT a disease.

I agree to this, true! - nm

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nm

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