HopeIsHere

Thank you all for your replies to this question. I hope that nature will take the best genes from me and my hubby. And I'll try to do my best.

Chantal88

From the scientific journals that I've read, it would seem the consensus is that it is genetic. I've also dated several scientists, including my ex who was a biochemist, and he stated that it was something that was generally accepted in the scientific community. I think the only way to tell for sure what genes your baby has is to see a geneticist who specializes in that area.

DesertEyes

In the professional community this whole business of "inheriting" alcoholism is known as the "Iron Triangle".

As Seren pointed out, science has not found a "gene" that causes alcohlism. What they have found is that some people have a completely different biological response to alcohol. These are the ones usually labeled as "hopeless alcoholics".

If you want to get _all_ the details you can see here:

National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)
NIAAA Publications
NIAAA Publications

I'll do the "Cliff Notes" version.

The "Iron Triangle" refers to the causes of _all_ addictions. It applies to everything from Gambling to Anorexia to Sex addiction, etc. etc. There are actually 3 causes for any of these, not just the one "genetic" cause.

The first cause of addictions is 100% behavior. Some people find themselves engaging in unhealthy behavior, such as drinking too much in college, or eating too little in order to be thin. If done to excess _any_ of these behaviors will cause damage to the brain, and other organs, which can lead to less self-control, and more of the damaging behavior. In this corner we toss in "learned behaviors", such as children who learn to drink by watching their parents, or who are encouraged to do so by their culture.

This "behavior" cause is one corner of the triangle.

The second cause is "emotional baggage". Getting drunk, or being very thin, produces a sense of happiness, and sometimes euphoria. If a person has a large amount of emotional pain they will find that more and more of the drinking or starving leads to continued reduction of the pain.

This "emotional" cause is the second corner of the triangle.

The third cause is 100% physical. Some people have the above mentioned difference in how their body metabolizes alcohol, or they have a pituitary irregularity that affects how their body processes food. These people become addicted almost instantly, and have the most difficult time in recovery.

This "biological" cause is the third corner of the triangle.

Most people fall somewhere in the middle of the triangle. Rarely do you find a person who is at the extreme edge of one of the "corners". It's called the "Iron" triangle because it is incredibly difficult to break out of it. Once a person starts down the path of addiction it becomes self-feeding. The longer they are in the grip of it the more damage they do to their brain and body and the harder it becomes to reverse the process.

Someday science will find a string of genes that regulate alcohol metabolism. That won't be much help, because it does not provide a cure, nor does it address the other two corners of the triangle. Until then we have to muddle along with old fashioned 12 step programs, or therapy, or church based programs, or whatever works.

Mike
Moderator, SR

NWGRITS

We have a history of alcoholism in our family. I believe in the nature vs. nurture philosophy. I did the "omgiI don't ever want to be like that!" thing, my sister is just like AM, and my half-brother just died this week from conditions related to his alcohol and drug abuse. But the big thing here is that mental illness runs rampant in our family. Sister, brother 1-of-3, and I all have/had bipolar disorder. Uncle had some mental illness and committed suicide. So we were all set up with pretty much the same predisposition to mental illness and addiction, but the differences in our upbringings are what I believe made the difference. I am the only one of my siblings who wasn't raised in the home with only mom and dad there. Ny grandmother took over the parent role with me, and I'm the only one of the three of us who are/were bipolar who has turned out "ok," for lack of a better word.

Chantal88

If you can afford it, when your child is old enough, you can have them tested. The tests are pretty costly, but accurate.

You can also raise your child to avoid alcohol. It seems unrealistic to raise someone to never drink alcohol, but I have a friend who has never drank a drop of alcohol for religious reasons (he's Bahai), so it can be done.

If someone has the genes for alcoholism, the disease is only activated once they start drinking. If they are never exposed to alcohol they will function like anyone else.