I respect other's opinions in much the same way as I respect people's religious choices and the choice to not be religious (since it is not genetic or hereditary) in that "whatever works" for them as individuals is fine, more power to them. With that said, my personal opinion is that "alcoholism" is not hereditary or genetic. However, I do believe that each person's body and liver are unique in how they metabolize alcohol that is introduced into the body. Beyond that it becomes a mental issue and a matter of choice. There is no gene that steers my arm to a place against my will until it is grasping a drink and then the gene lifts my arm to lift the glass to my mouth. For me personally, I consider the idea of blaming ones alcoholism on genetics a means of avoid taking responsibility for ones actions.
On a related note, when I was 5 my (then alcoholic) father thought it would be fun to race shots of sparkling wine with me. Needless to say, I don't remember anything after winning three times in a row. When I was 10 I was "told" by him that I was predisposed to alcoholism because it ran in the family. This leads me to a word I recently learned. Iatrogenic or iatrogenesis - sickness caused by a physician, whether actual or suggested. Basically, the power of suggestion being the cause, much like psychosomatic illness. -The planting of a seed where one then lives into the reality and/or possibility of alcoholic pattern drinking.
Basically, I do not believe that alcoholic pattern drinking is hereditary, I believe the way a body processes alcohol is unique for each individual and those bodily processes can be hereditary. “Decision making” patterns are not hereditary. Beyond that, picking up a drink is a cognitive mental choice. I give myself credit for making the right choice (being aware of the way my body processes alcohol) rather than live into a miserable reality of suffering, blame, playing out the victim role, and avoiding responsibility for my actions by telling myself it is hereditary and therefore someone else is at fault and to blame for my decision. That to me is truly insane thinking! I think AA throws it in there to ease the burden and shame of poor decisions and consequences. It is disempowering to blame it on things outside yourself. That's just my spin and that’s what works for me. Glad to be here and thanks for all the support.
