Addiction - hereditary?

fluffnutter

marisco wrote: »

Personally I don't buy into the idea that any addictions are hereditary. Whether a person ends up addicted to something or not, comes down to their own personal responsibility not the genetic transmission of characteristics. There's no such thing as no control over actions. As adults we all have choices and make conscious decisions about the path our life takes.

Yes, indeed. But the propensity to an addiction is probably an inherited trait. Whether or not you choose to act on that is, as already mentioned, down to other factors such as environment, opportunity, desire, etc. But your likelihood of developing one in the first place probably has a lot to do with genes.

peachyprice

As you see, the jury is still out. However, from my own family experience I would say hereditary in the personality trait sense, yes.

I have a brother who has a drink problem and an uncle who does too. They have very similar personalities in many many ways, these are not two men who were brought up in a way that my uncle has influenced my brother, we saw very little of him when growing up.

But they have the same triggers when it comes to drinking, fortunately my brother has recognised he has a problem and deals with it, very well, but that's not to say my dad doesn't constantly worry about him falling off the wagon, he does. My uncle on the other had doesn't do so well, but his family really don't help. Anyway, I digress.

I don't believe for one minute that it's as simple as choosing to have control over your actions, people don't choose to live the life of an addict of any kind, it's a miserable life. Addictive personalities exist, just the same as some people are predisposed to depression, people are predisposed to addiction and unless it is recognised and dealt with it can have the same catastrophic effect.

OP, that doesn't make it your fault, but having been there and got the t-shirt it does mean you have the tools to help your son, acknowledge his triggers, and help him to help himself.

azzabazza

I have told my son that I am here to support and advise - something he has known all of his life. He had the courage to tell me which is the first step. We have had a discussion about him seeking help and he is determined to get himself back on an even keel.

I appreciate the comments you have all made.

peachyprice

That is a huge step, well done to him.

I wish you both luck, it's a bumpy road as you know, but with support form you he can beat this.

troubleinparadise

azzabazza wrote: »

Thanks for the very useful comments. I just feel so beat up that my addiction could impact on my children. They were so supportive when I needed them.

I'm glad that your children were supportive when you needed them. I guess also that they saw the problems your addiction caused in both your life, and theirs, but also saw that with support and personal commitment an addiction can be overcome.

Just use your experience as a warning to them - "See, it can happen all too easily - be warned and watch yourself when it comes to potentially addictive behaviours" - eg alcohol, smoking, drugs, whatever.

You can't stop someone from trying out something dubious, but if they are armed with the information that it is all too easy for something to become self-harming, then they are forewarned.

In the families I am involved with, alcohol has been a problem in previous generations. But everyone knows this, and are watchful of it becoming a problem in themselves and others, and are all too aware of how damaging an addiction can be to the addict and those around them.

Don't beat yourself up - just keep being there for them, as they were for you.

azzabazza

peachyprice wrote: »

I wish you both luck, it's a bumpy road as you know, but with support form you he can beat this.

It is indeed a bumpy road and I did point out to him that I couldn't have got myself on the road to recovery without the family support I got. I was so close to loosing all and everyone who means so much to me.

I know he is working hard to combat the problem and as a family we are able to support him.

Maybe not the right thing to do, but I did give him and his wife a contribution to this month's credit card payment - he used his credit card to fund his gambling.

azzabazza

troubleinparadise wrote: »

I'm glad that your children were supportive when you needed them. I guess also that they saw the problems your addiction caused in both your life, and theirs, but also saw that with support and personal commitment an addiction can be overcome.

Just use your experience as a warning to them - "See, it can happen all too easily - be warned and watch yourself when it comes to potentially addictive behaviours" - eg alcohol, smoking, drugs, whatever.

You can't stop someone from trying out something dubious, but if they are armed with the information that it is all too easy for something to become self-harming, then they are forewarned.

In the families I am involved with, alcohol has been a problem in previous generations. But everyone knows this, and are watchful of it becoming a problem in themselves and others, and are all too aware of how damaging an addiction can be to the addict and those around them.

Don't beat yourself up - just keep being there for them, as they were for you.

Thank you so much for this. It has helped me greatly to get things in perspective.

geoffky

Alcoholism runs rife throughout my dads family and it has been passed down where two of my cousins are really struggling to stay sober at the moment after their father died of cirrhosis of the liver due to drinking..

My nan was also a alcoholic on the same side..

So i have no doubts whatsoever that it runs in family's through generations..
I had my last drink 13 years ago because of the family history and the road i was on..

GlynD

Addiction can be down to a genetic flaw and in many cases that is hereditary.

scooby088

Could it be down to nurture rather than nature, if you see someone drinking everyday from a young age then surely it's a possibility that later in life they see it acceptable to drink to excess.