subject: Addiction And The Genetic Factor [print this page] We know that there are people alive today who find it impossible to quit different kinds of behaviour once they have started it. What is it that makes one person quit cold turkey, and another smoke even while they are being treated for cancer?
Is there an addiction gene? Addiction in the genes is a hotly debated subject among scientists and researchers.
Scientists and researchers are going further back than ever before to unearth present truths. Addiction runs in the family. Again and again, they have found addictive behaviours carried down the family tree. This was the first indication that addiction may be an inherited condition.
It isn't possible to blame a single, specific gene for causing someone to develop addictive behaviour. There are however, several that combine to form a strong susceptibility to the behavioural patterns that addict's exhibit. This is addiction and the genetic factor debate.
When a person with these genetic markers is exposed to a drug, or a habit, it can change the chemistry in their brain. This change leads to compulsive behaviour and eventual addiction. In the same way that there are people walking around with a major predisposition for getting cancer, it seems that we can say the same thing in regard to addiction.
Of course, when dealing with addiction and the genetic factor, you still have to take into account the external factors as well. Why is it, for example, that a man becomes a drug addict, when his sister has never so much as smoked? External factors - nurture as opposed to nature - also have a part to play in whether or not a genetically vulnerable individual develops an addiction.
The addiction and the genetic factor discussion will play on for years to come. The science is still quite new, and there are those out there that would prefer to blame addiction on personality disorders instead of genetics. If a definitive link is established, it may still be a long wait for this information to translate into treatment or preventative measures. For the time being at least, traditional addiction treatment and rehabilitation is still the most effective way to proceed.
Alcohol addiction, gambling addiction and drug addiction may all be the result of an inherited set of genes. If you believe that addiction runs in the family, analyse yourself honestly. If it appears that you have a vulnerability to addictive behaviour, seek professional assistance. Seeking medical assistance quickly can reduce a lot of heart ache in the long-term.
