2010-07-26
In ALCOHOLISM TREATMENT / Tags: Alcoholics, Alcoholism, become, children, genetic, others, some /
Question by sweet_leaf: If alcoholism is genetic, why do some children of alcoholics become alcoholics while others do not?
Best answer:
Answer by intel_knight
It is both nature and nurture.
Genes only make it easier get addicted, but willpower or right kind of company will keep you from drinking.
I mean child of Michael Jordan is likely to be tall, but it does not mean he will become a basketball player like his dad.
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alcoholism is hereditary so i would think it could be genetic as well. i know my father is an alcoholic and so i fight the urge to drink everyday.
If eye color is genetic, why do some children inherit their daddy’s blue eyes and others do not?
same concept…some traits get passed down to some kids…others get passed down to their siblings.
we’re not carbon copies of our parents
Because, some genese do not express themselves and are recessive. There are charts online that can show how some genes are expressed and some recessive. Its like hair color, hair color is genetic, but how do you know if its going to be the color of the mom or dad? They have little square charts that you can use to predict what the chances are based on the genes of the parents.
Some children of alcoholics see the destruction it causes and make the extra effort to rise above their genetic predisposition to drink and make a life for themselves better than what the previous generation was able to accomplish
just like any other genetic disease or genetics in general.
both my parents are brunette, but im bllond. its complicated with recessive genes and has to do a lot with all the different chemicals.
the human body is SO complicated, there is nothing thats 100% always.
there are other factors in play, as others have pointed out. different genetic factors are affected by chemical interactions as well as the interplay of dominant and recessive gene alleles. however, when a child of an alcoholic also shows a high tolerance for alcohol the likelihood that said child will become an alcoholic is much greater.
It is partly genetic, yes. Part of it is also exposure you could say.
It’s kinda like abuse. Abuse runs in cycles, children of abusive parents have to make a conscious effort to break that cycle simply because the abuse is obvious.
Alcoholism is not always obvious. I have friends who’s parents were alsoholics, yet because the children were never exposed to the “symptoms” none of them turned out to be alocholics.
Then there are the ones who were exposed to the “symptoms” of alcoholism and made a conscious choice to be “Tea-totalers”.
And then there are the ones who give in and become alocoholics themselves.
Research shows that the risk for developing alcoholism does indeed run in families. The genes a person inherits partially explain this pattern, but lifestyle is also a factor. Currently, researchers are working to discover the actual genes that put people at risk for alcoholism. Your friends, the amount of stress in your life, and how readily available alcohol is also are factors that may increase your risk for alcoholism.
But remember: Risk is not destiny. Just because alcoholism tends to run in families doesn’t mean that a child of an alcoholic parent will automatically become an alcoholic too. Some people develop alcoholism even though no one in their family has a drinking problem. By the same token, not all children of alcoholic families get into trouble with alcohol. Knowing you are at risk is important, though, because then you can take steps to protect yourself from developing problems with alcohol.
They’ve been searching for the gene that causes alcoholism for some time now; every couple of years they announce they have it, but it’s quietly proved wrong.
I believe that it is probable that one is more likely to become an alcoholic but that nurture is more influencing than nature. But even if a person was born and raised by alcoholics, it doesn’t make a difference until the person abuses alcohol repeatedly over a period of time.
This is all part of AA beliefs that one is “powerless” over their addiction, and because of it NEED their (religious) program in order to quit.
Let’s turn it around. Since not all children of alcoholics become alcoholics become alcoholics, alcoholism must not be genetic. Heck, let’s take the same rationale a bit further. Since only about 3-5% of the folks who are infected with the virus (alcohol) become alcoholics, it must not really be a disease. Since it isn’t really a disease, maybe the $7billion/year treatment industry in this country is providing an imaginary, yet innefective cure to a non-disease. Maybe.
Alcoholism isn’t genetic. No one has proven thus far that it is.