Is Addiction Hereditary?

Looking at Your Family History It can be widely speculated that addiction can be hereditary. If there are addicts in your family, it could be possible that their behaviors can be passed on to you, as well. When considering this, it is important to look at your family history, especially your parent’s. Numerous studies show the cause of addiction can be broken down to 50 percent genetic and 50 percent issues with coping skills. Further studies have shown that children of addicts are up to 8 times more likely to also develop an addiction. One study in particular took 231 individuals who had been clinically diagnosed with an addiction and compared them to 61 people who did not have addictions to drugs or alcohol. Then it took a look at the close relatives of these participants, as in parents, siblings, and children. It came to the conclusion that it’s 8 times more likely for the children of addicts to also become addicts. The genes that influence alcoholism can be expressed in a variety of ways: Smaller amygdala: This is the part of the brain associated with the roles of emotions and is associated with cravings. In some studies, individuals who have a family history that includes alcoholism have smaller than average amygdala. Variety of warning signs: Those who have a genetic predisposition to alcoholism may have differently programed neurological warning signals that tell tell their body to stop drinking. Levels of abnormal serotonin: Serotonin is the most important mood r...
Source: Cliffside Malibu - Category: Addiction Authors: Tags: Addiction Addiction Recovery Alcohol Alcoholism Depression Depression Treatment Drinking Drug Rehab Information Drug Treatment Dual Diagnosis and Eating Disorder Treatment Mental Health family family disease hereditary Source Type: blogs