My father was an alcoholic, and his father before him. 2 of my cousins are addicts on everything from alcohol to anything that gets them fucked up.

I've started drinking just at parties and such when I was 15. Eventually parties when I didn't drink became boring (like family gatherings, etc.) when I used to like them. I don't too much other drugs, I don't like weed that much but will do it from time to time. I also used to attack boxes of N20 like a mad man. But now I just get a few chargers every few months or so and I can, not have some drinks but usually perfer to. Yet, im still young and nervous abotu become an addict when I'm older and move out.

My dad never hit me or anything but I have no good memories about him during his drinking days. And I notice the after effects on my aunts and uncles of my grandpas drinking. Even though I see these things I still enjoy drinking. Are humans genetically disposed to have addictions to certain drugs or drugs period?

Well of course, but you make the decisions in your life, if you don't want to be an addict don't be an addict. Easier said than done, though.

is part of your addiction in you not being able to have fun at social gatherings without booze. i guess i pretty much feel the same way.. interesting..

i'd definitely say it runs in the family. my dad's always like "watch out for the booze son, it's in the genes". i think it's just because we witness it a lot at a younger age and develop an acceptance/norm of it at a young age.

edit// but like stan said - if you use it as an excuse to your problems, you're just an idiot without proper judgement to take control of your own life. drink because you want to drink, not because it's in the family.

I believe alcoholism runs in the family. So, just learn how to control yourself.

There's no unbeatable addiction, but it doesn't mean beating an addiction will be easy once you get there. Especially if you let that addiction take over for numerous years.

I only drink on occasion and alcoholism runs in my family, thank god I found Mary Jane before I started drinking. Smoking bud is definitely better for you than drinking, although both aren't necessarily good for you.

Can alcoholism run in the family? Yes.

Is alcoholism genetic? No.

It is fucking enviormental, NOT genetics.

Talk to any scientist who deals w/ genes and they will denie this. This is not widely known, of course. There is no "alcoholic gene" just as there is no "gay gene." Both are simply choices. There is no justification for being either. Gays who say "I'm gay becasue of genetics" are just insecure about their sexuality and need a justification for it. Same thing w/ addicts.

If you see your parents getting fucked up, you will learn that as a child. Children tend to repeat there parents and loved ones behavior patterns.

This is pretty obvious, but most of the retards tend to believe its genetics.

"Eughh so his papa is drunkorz so it must be a JEAN!"

There are different explanations to addiction, one of which is the genetics model which states that genetics play a role in the addictive behaviours of an individual. For me at least I think this is the case.

Alcoholism runs strong in both sides of my family, drug abuse on my mother's side as well. I drank very heavily almost everyday for two years, and at first it was simply a time passer but it quickly became something I relied on every night for various reasons. I've noticed that when my father gets depressed/stressed out he develops a huge inferiority complex and tries to transfer his pain to people around him--the one of the reasons I stopped drinking(not completely, just once or twice on the weekends now), was because I found myself doing this, and it made me sick to my stomach.

It's not that I don't think I will get addicted to anything else...it's just that I don't think I will ever drink as much as I used to, nor could I ever rely on it. I've never been psychologically addicted to any other drugs except maybe cigs so I can't speak on anything else.

^I agree with that alot, I don't really know all the science but I think addictive behaviours are environmentally caused as well.

I found this very helpful : http://www.peele.net/lib/genetics.html

Well genetics have an impact on personality, and part of that can be your strength of will and how easily you give into temptation, so there probably isn't an 'alcoholic gene' but that doesn't mean alcoholism isn't genetic to a certain degree.

I personally feel it's mostly environment, but not entirely. It's really complex how addiction manifests itself.

--KP

There is a biological predisposition for addiction in people. For many it depends on the amount of Dopamine floating around in their brain. Dopamine works with the craving control part of your brain so if your dopamine levels are off-balance then you might be more succeptible to craving something in comparison with someone who has "normal" dopamine levels.

It could be said that, dopamine imbalances are why some people are better at quitting drugs than others. Because what is an addiction but a deep craving for something?

And heres an interesting article about dopamine and cocaine: http://tinyurl.com/2po57s

Addicts have been shown to have specific physical traits. The last one I remember was that they have been shown to have a different reward system that meant they needed more to feel pleasure/reward then others.

This might be related to what TheLaUghiNgHeretic posted.

I'm of the opinion that addicts will get addicted to something and always have an addiction of some sort. It does not have to be drugs or gambling, it can be shopping, working out, watching TV, or browsing totse. People can sometimes willpower themselves off an addiction for a while, but they will trade it for another addiction or fall back on the same one.


I really have no will power and could give less of a fuck about my life. I have access to all sorts of drugs and have tried taking them enough to get a tolerance. You would think I would be a prime target for addiction, right? Well, for whatever reason, I cannot seem to stay on an addictive drug. Four months is the longest I've done it with Dexedrine, but after that I couldn't stand taking it any longer, even though it was helping me with school. Same with benzos, even though they helped, I couldn't stand taking them. Heroin didn't stand a chance.

This is a subject I've wondered about for some time. I hope that if there is ever a test for addiction that those of us not prone to it can finally get our drugs legally.

http://www.webmd.com/mental-health/news/20040526/researchers-identify-alcoholism-gene

ill tell you what..

smoking weed is pretty bad and i dont know how bad it is compared to alcohol....

i knwo alcy pretty much turns you into a fiend and you get to a point where you always have to be drinking if you have no control. alcohol fucks you up physically as it fucks your liver and other things too. plus you become skinny and all your shit is fucked up in there.

weed can do the same but make you look real shitty and make you not care about any thing personal such as hygiene appearance and style in general,,,it just makes you kinda blehhhhh mentally but it doesnt fuck with anything physically that is for sure.

as far as im concerned alcoholism runs in my family and i know this much...its starting to get me because i can feel myself getting more nervous in general especially at a party where im not drinking yet. and if i go on a bender which i did a couple weeks ago i felt shivers for the first time in my life.

this is all new to me but my family are not only alcys...they are horse drinking alcys they will pound down a case in a day simply every day for years. i know before my dad went to rehab for OXYCODONE (tolerance 460) he was drinking 36 beers a day on top of that.

how he didnt die no body knows but we do know he was coming close.

and its still painful to remember.

Can alcoholism run in the family? Yes.

Is alcoholism genetic? No.

It is fucking enviormental, NOT genetics.

Talk to any scientist who deals w/ genes and they will denie this. This is not widely known, of course. There is no "alcoholic gene" just as there is no "gay gene." Both are simply choices. There is no justification for being either. Gays who say "I'm gay becasue of genetics" are just insecure about their sexuality and need a justification for it. Same thing w/ addicts.

If you see your parents getting fucked up, you will learn that as a child. Children tend to repeat there parents and loved ones behavior patterns.

This is pretty obvious, but most of the retards tend to believe its genetics.

"Eughh so his papa is drunkorz so it must be a JEAN!"You're an idiot.

Addiction certainly has an environmental cause, and a significant one at that, but to deny the role genetics plays is pretty ignorant.

Not to mention claiming homosexuality is a choice. That's just downright retarded.

You're an idiot.

Addiction certainly has an environmental cause, and a significant one at that, but to deny the role genetics plays is pretty ignorant.

Not to mention claiming homosexuality is a choice. That's just downright retarded.

Genetics can possibly play a role in your dopamine levels, like someone said, but having lower dopamine does not imply you will become an addict, asshole.

You're joking about the second comment, right?

Idk ive cranked through alot of stuff in my time and im technically approaching the peak of living in my life. Idk how many nitrous chargers i went thru, hence the name "Nitrous"Mafia. I have a whole box of chargers i never disposed of which probably contains 200-300 empties.

I sat down and figured out all the subtances and such ive used and i think i came up on around 15 of them(maybe more now). Will i use them freely if i get my hands on any of them, more than likely yes. Will I use them 24/7 if i had a continous supply, no. I found out the hard way i cannot function 100% in all situations whilst under the influence of certain things. Therefore If i know i have any such possible things to do or situations where i need to be sober coming up, ill refrain from use of whatever it is. Ive missed out on a lot of shit and from just getting smacked in the face by those losses it keeps me from being a addict.

Genetics can possibly play a role in your dopamine levels, like someone said, but having lower dopamine does not imply you will become an addict, asshole.


Of course there's no gene that "makes" you an alcoholic. No-one was arguing that. Because someone with that gene could theoretically spend their life on an island somewhere and never once be exposed to alcohol. The question was whether some people are genetically predisposed to addiction, a question you didn't really address.

Oh, and having lower dopamine levels doesn't "imply" anything, because having lower dopamine levels doesn't ever talk. xD

You're joking about the second comment, right?

I would be willing to bet he isn't... Saying people choose to be gay is phenomanally retarded lol. In fact, everything that comes out of your mouth (ass?) seems to be getting there. You say alcoholism can run in the family, but is in no way genetic?? A million monkeys on typewriters could've made a more coherent argument. Maybe less, who knows.

I'm of the opinion that addicts will get addicted to something and always have an addiction of some sort. It does not have to be drugs or gambling, it can be shopping, working out, watching TV, or browsing totse. People can sometimes willpower themselves off an addiction for a while, but they will trade it for another addiction or fall back on the same one.

^^This guy described my personality pretty well (or 1 part of it anyway).

[this thread]I think there have to be some people who are more predisposed to addiction than others, just the same as there have to be people with darker hair than others. [/thread]

You're joking about the second comment, right?

*sigh*

I have friends who have parents who drink alot, but they themselves usually only get really drunk once or twice on the weekend. My parents always hardly touched alcohol except for a couple beers during a BBQ or a few drinks around Christmas, but when I have enough money I like to get drunk almost every day. Alot of the time it just comes down to the individual.

I think they are but in my case I came from like a pretty normal childhood parents divorced but nothing like drugs or alcohol came into the picture....Ive had mass surgeries in my life never really became addicted.....

until I started to fuck around with shit in high school....here and there turned into I HATE IT when im not on anything now ive reached that point where I am addicted...and i was a straight a and b student getting ready for college....to missing as much school as I had to...in order to get high....

*sigh* so I think personally its what you want it to be....mayb if I had been exposed more to drugs I could have seeen the bad shit but I never realized it until I was there myself and im only 20