Alcoholism can commonly be found in persons within the same family. Because of this, people often ask: is alcoholism hereditary?The answer is that genetics play just one role among several others that affect the development of alcoholism.
https://havenhouserecovery.com/is-alcoholism-hereditary
Is Alcoholism Hereditary?
B L O G | H A V E N H O U S E R E C O V E R Y
ht tps ://havenhouserecovery .com/
Some families have multiple
members who experience
alcoholism. This often leads to
the question: is alcoholism
hereditary?
If your father is an alcoholic, is
there a good chance you might
be as well? Many studies have
covered this topic, and what
most experts found is that
there are several factors that
cause alcoholism.
What Causes Alcoholism?
Alcoholism or alcohol use
disorders can develop from
several factors. After long
periods of drinking, your mind
becomes accustomed to and
looks for alcohol to produce
certain chemicals in your brain
to feel certain emotions.
This dependence is what
makes it hard for those
suffering from alcohol abuse
to quit drinking.
Factors that affect the
development of alcoholism
include genetic factors,
environmental factors, social
factors, and psychological
factors. Is alcoholism
hereditary? It’s more
complicated than that of a
simple “yes” or “no.”
Can Alcoholism Be Genetic?
Several studies suggest that
genetics may play a risk factor
in the development of
alcoholism. Studies between
families, twins, and adoptions
have shown the presence of a
genetic component in
alcoholism. The next question
is, is there a gene that causes
alcoholism?
Evidence showed that there
was a connection between
alcoholism and the A1 allele of
the DRD2 gene. This gene was
the first of its kind to be
associated with alcoholism.
Further, a study in Sweden in
which twins were adopted as
children and grew up apart
showed that while alcoholism
depended on the
environmental factors of their
adopted family, there was a
higher incidence of alcoholism
in twins who had biological
fathers.
While there were many other
studies that tried to connect
alcoholism and genetics, none
have been able to pinpoint an
exact gene that has a direct
effect on the former. Some
studies even suggest that
alcoholic dependence may be
associated with up to 51
different genes in various
chromosome regions.
However, what w