I firmly believe that addiction is partly genetic. However, addiction is also a result of behavior.
Let me explain....
I come from two parents where addiction runs high. On my fathers side, alcoholism ran rampant. As a young child I remember all my relatives on his side were alcoholics. Many died as a result. Guess what, I hate alcohol! Always have. My friends and family call me the cool-aid kid - despite being in 40's LOL!
Sure, I drank a bit as a teenager and later in social situations but never more than a drink or two in any setting. Sure, I got trashed a few times in my life too... But never once did I pick up a drink and not be able to stop. Heck, I haven't had a drink of alcohol in YEARS! Only because I don't like it anymore.
Now, Take my moms side of the family.... Pot heads galore! Cocaine galore!
You see, I grew up on a Texas border town where drugs were EVERYWHERE! Matter of fact, the old joke was, "I don't have a coke problem... At $50.00 a gram, NO PROBLEM! Then there was the whole Ecstasy thing. It was EVERYWHERE and EVERYONE did it especially when I was in high school.
Yep, I did it a few times in my teens but It was just one of those things that happened a few times.
Then as left my teenage years and entered adulthood, I never touched the stuff again! Heck, I was in the Coast Guard and half my buddies smoked pot because were stationed in Humboldt County USA... Biggest pot growing county in the US. My girlfriend who was a doctor (yeah, the older lady thing LOL!) she smoked pot too.... Never touched the stuff....
Then I went into law enforcement after the service. Some of my best friends used -- of course I didn't bust them, they were my high school friends and they knew they had to have their **** straight when they were around me.
So then in my early 40's I was diagnosed with some serious back issues. I began innocently enough with tramadol. Then after 6 months vicoden. The after a year or two I went to oxy. From oxy a year later I went to oxymorphone - Just like Heroin!
Next thing you know, I had a drug problem. I went from dependent to addicted.
I got myself clean and the next thing you know I had to have surgery. Guess what, right back to square one addicted again. I took myself off the meds again and here I am almost 2 weeks clean. I feel as if I have my life back.
My life deteriorated quickly on the drugs.... Never again.