Addiction and the Genetic Factor

Addiction and the Genetic Factor

We know that there are people alive today who find it impossible to quit different kinds of behaviour once they have started it. What is it that makes one person quit cold turkey, and another smoke even while they are being treated for cancer?

Is there an addiction gene? Addiction in the genes is a hotly debated subject among scientists and researchers.

Scientists and researchers are going further back than ever before to unearth present truths. Addiction runs in the family. Again and again, they have found addictive behaviours carried down the family tree. This was the first indication that addiction may be an inherited condition.

It isn’t possible to blame a single, specific gene for causing someone to develop addictive behaviour. Put several particular genes together, however, and the combination can leave someone with a strong vulnerability to addictive behaviour. This is the addiction and genetics debate.

When someone with these particular genes are exposed to a particular substance or an activity, the brain chemistry can be fundamentally altered. This leads to to compulsive behaviour and the end result is usually that of addiction. We are familiar with the concept that some illnesses – both physical and mental – can be heriditary, but it appears that this can also be applied to addiction.

Naturally, even if addiction is in the genes, there are other external factors that play their part. Why does one person become an alcoholic after his first drink, when his brothers and sisters have always managed to drink in moderation? External factors – nurture as opposed to nature – also have a part to play in whether or not a genetically vulnerable individual develops an addiction.

The debate on inherited addiction will continue for a long to come. The science is still quite new, and there are those out there that would prefer to blame addiction on personality disorders instead of genetics. If a definitive link is established, it may still be a long wait for this information to translate into treatment or preventative measures. Until that day comes, treating addiction through counselling and group therapy is still the best route to take.

Alcohol addiction, gambling addiction and drug addiction may all be the result of an inherited set of genes. If you believe that addiction runs in the family, analyse yourself honestly. If it appears that you have a vulnerability to addictive behaviour, seek professional assistance. Seeking medical assistance quickly can reduce a lot of heart ache in the long-term.