Sobertaurus

This isn't a post on research, just that I've been struggling with recovery from this devil for some time now. And, I've been vocal about my struggles. My husbands a proponent of moderation only. My mother who lives with us thinks she doesn't have a problem if she doesn't drink before noon, but we've all known she has a problem for ages. Noe my brother, who always had his crap together and is eight years older than me just confided he has a problem... After twenty years of no problems. Can anyone share issues of alcoholism in families? Particularly into the thirties or forties?

Sobertaurus

Btw I am not sober right one but in control somewhat for now..... It is temporary I know but I'm also feeling my higher power say that maybe this is why I should go sober..... My honesty made him honest and maybe my recovery might show him a light? Yes I know you do it for you but I feel that our lives tell a tale that might help others?

Thomasthetank

Hey Sobertaurus

Drink some water, eat something, get some sleep.

You'll be able to think straight tomorrow.

Thomasthetank

We're all here for you mate, I don't say that in a judgemental way.

It's just the best advice I can give right now.

freshstart57

I was a drunk, my grandfather and about a third of my aunts and uncles were too. My three siblings aren't. On my mother's side, none that I know of. What this shows, if anything, is that getting drunk happened because of drinking, no other reason. And getting sober happened because of not drinking.

Maybe genetic influences predisposed me to alcoholism. And maybe other genetic influences allowed me to figure out how to quit and stay that way. I have no real way to tell, because I am the only person I really know about here, not much of a study to be made out of that.

You mentioned temporary control of your alcohol intake that seems to be unlikely to be permanent. If you want permanent control, permanently don't drink. Quit drinking altogether. For good.

Life really is a lot easier, it's more satisfying and a whole bunch more fun without alcohol. It's not your Mom or your brother that you can change, it's only you that you can change. You can quit drinking, and quit for good. I recommend it.

phoebe64

My mother's side of my family is full of alcoholics/heavy drinkers. My brother is an alcoholic, but would likely not say so, I am. My mother was.

My father's side has very few. I heard some rumors about an ancestor who was, and one of his 9 siblings. But just rumors, I never observed it. Many, including my father, were light drinkers and many sober.

So, why didn't my brother and I inherit the sober genes?? The take or leave it genes? Not fair.

Dee74

Hi Sobertaurus

My Mums side is riddled with alcoholism, but she doesn't drink herself much at all - very rarely and never top excess, my dad drinks normally. My sister drinking like my mum and my brother used to drink heavily but started a family etc and grew out out it.

I'm the only one who took things to extremes.

My point is, inherited or not - there is a whole range of things you can do about it, if you don't want to drink anymore.

I was an all day everyday drinker but I've been sober since 2007. You can do it too

D

nomis

Unfortunately this is question is tied to the nature of addiction and when discussing that the issue of responsibility quickly arises. Because that is such a deeply personal topic there is a lot at stake when people start discussing it.

I have my own ideas, I think there is good science behind them (that should tip my hand right there) but Dee is right. It doesn't much matter what you believe, you have the power to make the decision to get sober and healthy.

Hawks

My observations would say it seems to show up like male pattern baldness, although obviously alcoholism is not gender specific.

But I think most people have known a family of all boys.

Dad is bald by age 40, then by the same age, 1 of his boys is just as bald, one has a full head of hair and one has slight receding.

It can skip generations just like baldness and there are also studies that suggest alcoholism can be more prominant in certain races and nationalities.

"The drunken Irishman is often the butt of jokes like these. And though this may be an extreme example, the stereotype does in fact have some scientific merit to it. Studies show that Irish have both a high tolerance for alcohol, but also are more susceptible to alcoholism than other nationalities."

http://www.millennialinflux.com/call...nd-alcoholism/

Briar

I know the science behind it is unclear, but I can tell you that I have a history of serious alcoholics on both sides of my family, and now I am one myself. I think part of it may be the way the family functions that sort of trains us a certain way, but I do think there's some truth to the heritability theory. Statistically we are at a higher risk if we have alcoholism in the family.

MavisTheFairy13

It's a very interesting question. My dad definitely has a drinking problem. He thinks he used to have one and now doesn't, but to me having a beer, glass of wine and triple whisky every night is a problem. Even more interesting is that I wasn't brought up by him - I was brought up by my grandparents, his parents, who hardly drank at all maybe one at xmas! So I wasn't around drinking at all. Maybe it is in the genes?

Soberwolf

I come from an family of Alcoholics & Drug addicts

I totally agree with what D said Inherited or not there is a whole range of things to do about it

FreeOwl

Don't know of its hereditary.... But my Dad drank a lot and so did most of his friends and my step mom. Most of the time spent with him was spent around alcohol. I'm sure growing up seeing that as normal played a part in my own journey with alcoholism.

Dad also told stories of relatives with drink problems. He quit for years and now will very occasionally have a beer or two.... Just a few times per year. Maybe that means he's not an alcoholic and was only a heavy drinker for all those years.

sickofthiscrap

Much heavy drinking on my mum's side of the family, and my mother is an alcoholic.
My father isn't, but he's a chronic pot head, so there is addiction on both sides.

JanieJ

There is probably a science behind it...

Both my parents drank quite heavily up to about aged 60. But they were my adoptive parents. My real parents were Irish.

My brother (also adopted) is also Irish, and used to drink , but he gave up a few years back in favour of half marathons.


It could go round and round and round...what came first, the chicken or the egg ?

Perhaps it's just that booze is so readily available..and what you see as a child you tend to emulate..?

Interesting question.

Sobertaurus

Thank you to everyone who posted. I will think carefully about what you have shared.

Ellay

Paternal grandfather, maternal grandfather , grandmother, great uncle , aunt , uncle and mother are/ were alcoholics. I am too...except I am the first to do something about it

razor15

My Dad was a drinker, literally almost killed himself drinking...but quit about 20 years ago and somehow has made it to today. Amazing, if you would have seen him then.