“Are genetics involved in drug addiction? ”
I came from a family where substance abuse was commonplace. Sometimes it involved alcohol, other times it involved heroin and prescription drugs. Because I've seen it happen so often, I stay away from anything that can cause a dependence. But since it happened so often in my family, are genetics sometimes related to substance abuse?
1 Answer
ABSOLUTELY. But genetics aren't destiny. If one parent is alcoholic, each child has about a 25% chance of inheriting the RISK of alcoholism, and about HALF of that group go on to problem drinking. The more affected relatives, the higher the risk. One way to tell you have the risk might be your response to alcohol. If each drink makes you feel more WONDERFUL and euphoric than the previous drink, you have the risk of losing control and should avoid alcohol. Childhood emotional trauma (e.g., abuse or neglect) can also put someone at risk. Similarly, if you take one opiate painkiller and become euphoric, you have a potential problem. The normal response to painkillers is they relieve your pain, that's it.
Patients have told me that they're not alcoholic but recognize that it would be possible if they weren't careful. That's because after one drink, they lose control and almost immediately have six drinks or more. So they avoid alcohol like the plague. That's smart.
Given what you say, avoiding potentially addicting substances is probably a good idea.
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Patients have told me that they're not alcoholic but recognize that it would be possible if they weren't careful. That's because after one drink, they lose control and almost immediately have six drinks or more. So they avoid alcohol like the plague. That's smart.
Given what you say, avoiding potentially addicting substances is probably a good idea.
.
