The genetic link for alcoholism has never been conclusively proven but there is significant evidence that shows that the children of alcoholics are more likely to abuse alcohol themselves. This may not be inherited in terms of genes alone but rather be a result of environmental factors. Children tend to mimic their parents and growing up in a home where alcohol use and abuse is the norm will undoubtedly impact on future habits with alcohol.
Alcoholism is a term attributed to a person if :
- they crave alcohol.
- they are unable to control the amounts that they consume.
- their tolerance to alcohol gradually increases.
- there are indications of a physiological dependence on alcohol, meaning that the person will experience withdrawal symptoms should they not consume alcohol.
Possible Genetics of Alcoholism
The current model suggests that a person’s addiction to alcohol may be due to genetic factors. Many alcoholics tend to have lower levels of serotonin than the average person. Serotonin is the brain hormone that is responsible for our moods. A low serotonin level results in depression and anti-depressants, usually selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, are useful.
Alcohol also has an effect on serotonin levels. When you consume a drink, your serotonin levels increase moderately. This is the reason you feel jovial and relaxed after one or two drinks. However with alcohol, the serotonin levels quickly restore to a normal level or even dip a short while after the first drink. Successive drinks usually do not yield the same effect on your serotonin levels and since alcohol is a depressant, it impairs your senses and causes the typical symptoms associated with inebriation (drunkenness).
In many cases, alcoholics were actually depressed prior to the first time that they ever had a drink. Alcohol seemed like a solution to the depression, without them being able to identify their depressed state. Coupled with an environment that is conducive to excessive alcohol intake, a person quickly develops unhealthy patterns of behavior with their alcohol use. The question arises as to whether these low serotonin levels, or the ‘depression gene’ is passed on to successive generations. With depression itself, there appears to be a susceptibility among the children of depressed parents to also develop depression. There is no conclusive evidence that depression or alcoholism is genetic but there appears to be a strong link indicating that both these diseases could be hereditary.
It is important for children living with alcoholics to seek counseling in order to break any patterns of learned behavior. The assumption that alcoholics, who are not violent or abusive towards their family, do not imprint on their family is incorrect. Alcoholism is a disease that affects the entire household and even if a child is not the victim of abuse, professional help is advisable.
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