How
is Alcoholism passed down from genetically?
My question is something that has been discussed within
my family for quite some time, coming from a family of heavy drinkers, my
parents have always been concerned about my behavior regarding alcohol. I have
always been told that alcoholism is passed down from generation to generation,
but is there any scientific evidence proving this to be true? According to
(web4health) Children of alcohol-dependent
parents run a higher risk of developing an alcohol problem than other children.
This is partly caused by the environment and habits of the parents living in
the household. Along with the environment, personality traits are passed on to
children, so if the parent runs a risk of alcoholic behavior, the child in the
family will also likely possess similar attitudes and behaviors regarding
alcoholism. Another genetic trait that can be passed on is lack of endorphins,
those who lack endorphins tend to find substances that “make them happy”, a lot
of times they resort to alcohol to fill their needs, if the child is born with
fewer endorphins they have similar risks associated with alcoholism and other
substances. Lastly being exposed to alcohol at an early age negatively shapes
the childs behavior, if the child is used to seeing alcohol within the
household and sees it being consumed regularly, they will become adapted to it
and not see the negativity associated with it.
This shows that parents are
partially responsible for maintaining a good environment within the household
while the child is growing up, it is also their responsibility to make the
child aware of the dangers associated with alcoholism.
Jeremy A.M.
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