There is a link between drug addiction and genetics.
There is mixed evidence as to whether drug addiction is actually predisposed by the genes or not but one thing that is known for sure is that addictive behavior is predisposed. What this means is that although actually being addicted to drugs may not be genetic there are genetic factors that play a role in whether or not a person has what is known as an “addictive personality.”
Why can some people use drugs casually and not become addicted but others use just a few times and the addiction sets in? How much of drug addiction can be imposed on a predisposition that is the result of genetics? Why does addiction strike one person so much differently than it does the next?
Drug Addiction and Genetics
There is evidence that shows as much as 50% of a person’s likelihood to become addicted to a drug is genetically predisposed. What this means is that the genes play a key role in drug addiction but they do not play the only role in determining whether or not a person will become addicted to drugs as a result of recreational or casual drug abuse.
There are thousands of genes that determine everything about an individual from skin, hair and eye color to personality and cognitive ability. Of the 40,000 genes that are expressed in the part of the brain where drugs show their most profound effects many may or may not be directly linked to drug addiction. Geneticists have been researching the similarities and differences between family members who are addicts in hopes of determining those genes which are directly responsible for determining whether or not an individual will become addicted to drugs.
While evidence does suggest that heredity and genetics do play a role in increasing the likelihood of an individual becoming addicted to drugs there are many other factors that come into play as well. While addiction does tend to run in families it is still unclear how much of the disease of addiction is transmitted genetically and how much of the disease is the result of learning addictive behaviors from family or society.
Genetic Predisposition Studies
While there have been many different studies conducted to determine how much genetics do determine drug addiction some of the most profound include studies on twins and studies that have been conducted on adopted children. One study compared the alcoholism rates of both individuals who had been adopted but were born to alcoholic parents and those who were born to non alcoholic parents. Statistics show that those who were born to alcoholic parents, although they never knew their parents and were not raised in alcoholic households were as much as 3 times more likely to become addicted to alcohol themselves.
Another study on the genetic predisposition of drug addiction focused on twins. One study found that identical twins (those who share the same genetic makeup) are up to 200% more likely to suffer from alcoholism than fraternal (not identical) twins. Similar statistics have been found for other types of drug abuse amongst twins including cocaine, stimulants and sedatives.
Within an intimate or family-based relationship, patterns of abuse in any form can spell trouble down the road for the person being abused. Patterns of abuse can escalate without warning, turning violent and even deadly. According to the National Institute of Justice, one out of every five women injured or killed by a significant other….
Counseling for cocaine addiction is not a simple treatment process due to the many different facets of life that an addiction to cocaine can (and has a tendency to) disrupt. Effective treatment for cocaine addiction will help an individual to stop using cocaine, live a drug free lifestyle and function in life with family, friends,….
The most important aspect of choosing a rehab center is that you choose one that is right for you. Different people have different needs, and someone with a specific need or background could make the choice to be treated for addiction in a Catholic rehab center. Here are some of the benefits of choosing one….
Most patients who enter drug rehab are not worried so much about what is involved in the rehabilitation process itself but more so about when they will actually be in recovery. For some, recovery takes many months or even years to attain while for others, recovery is a process that almost comes naturally and commences….
Gov. Rick Scott and his cabinet have been using an arbitrary system to decide when—and if—to restore Florida residents’ voting rights after they have been convicted and served time for a felony. This system has kept more than 10 percent of adult Floridians from being able to vote, and this largely includes those who were….
More oftentimes than not, not finding affordable treatment help becomes the number one reason why people don’t get the help they need. As with any form of medical care, the costs of alcohol rehab treatment can be expensive and continue to rise with each passing year. Without adequate health insurance coverage, many people are left….
It seems that every rehab center or service is faith based. Many of the community based programs are as well. It is important to ask the question of whether faith is necessary for rehab and recovery. In order to answer this you need to understand exactly what faith provides to people and how it is….
Rehab can be a scary thing not only for reasons of what it means to the addict; leaving the security of the drug that gives them comfort; but also because the cost can be astronomical. The National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) reports that, depending on length of stay, staff to patient ratio, size of….
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, addiction is a treatable disease not a lack of willpower or morality. Knowing this does not make severing ties with an adult child who is an addict any easier. Many people subscribe to the tough love approach, which involves abandoning the child to their drug addicted fate…..
Are you addicted to drugs and/or alcohol? Have you decided that the best way to overcome your trouble is to seek treatment at a rehabilitation center? If you answered yes to these questions, you are not ready to move forward just yet. There are other details to consider, such as which rehabilitation center is right….
Calls to numbers on a specific treatment center listing will be routed to that treatment center. Calls to any general helpline will be answered or returned by one of the treatment providers listed, each of which is a paid advertiser that includes Right Path Rehab.
By calling the helpline you agree to the terms of use. We do not receive any commission or fee that is dependent upon which treatment provider a caller chooses. There is no obligation to enter treatment.
