Can addiction run in the family?
Is an addictive personality inherited? The fast answer is partly yes and partly no.
Studies show that addiction (hence addictive personality) is passed on thru genetics 50% of the time. But poor coping skills accounts for the other 50%. Everyone has the potential for addiction whether it’s thru genetics or not, but there are differences in the way people cope.
So I see the answer for this questions as Yes, addiction can be inherited but it doesn’t have to be allowed to rule one’s life.
We have some into information on the vast subject to make it easier for anyone to begin to understand if they’re feeling as if they have an issue with an addictive personality (addiction).
Know Your Family History
It’s important to know your family history to decipher if there is a predisposition to addictive behaviors.
It has been shown that children of addicts are 8 times more likely to develop an addiction of some sort. This could be partly because of the fact that the genetics have been passed on and partly because a parent with a substance, or other addiction hasn’t passed along the necessary coping skills.
1st Genetics And Inheriting Addictions…
While there are different theories on this, let’s take for example and alcohol addiction. Genes might result in a person that’s curiously sensitive to the physiological effects of alcohol; an individual can find drinking very relaxing or enjoyable; but this doesn’t rule how the person drinks over the course of a lifetime.
Frequently, individuals who become addicted set themselves up by believing a substance or an experience has magical ability to transform their lives (or to dull a negative experience) (“If I drink I’m genuinely at ease”; “Drinking makes me attractive to individuals of the opposite sex”; “I really only feel good about myself when I’m shopping”; “Gambling makes my life more exciting.”). But, of course, there are no magical properties within these things.
Addiction has been linked to dopamine however. This refers to a neurochemical that is in the pleasure centers of the brain, and which various drugs and activities stimulate. So if a person is f/rom a family history of genetics where there are decreased levels of dopamine, this could pass down the possibility of “an addictive personality trait” in order to stimulate dopamine.
While the “risk” for using or overusing harmful substances or experiences can certainly be passed on, it doesn’t have to take over someone’s life and one may certainly correct an otherwise bad situation.
Bottom line is… have a candid look at family history to see if there’s a pattern of addictive behavior. If nothing else this will clue you in to what to watch for and to stay away from and areas that might need to be changed in your own life.
Now For Coping Skills In Relation To A Personality That Leans Towards Addictions…
I can’t stress enough how important coping skills are. If one is predisposed to a genetic makeup of addictive personality, this can make all the .difference in the world. Without the correct coping skills.
It can be a very slippery slope.
Again, we will use the example of alcohol dependency.
We all have the genetic “chance” for addiction because there’s an evolutionary benefit to that. If an animal consumes a particular food that it likes, there’s a benefit to associating pleasure with that food so that the animal will search for that food in the future. Put differently the possibility for addiction is hardwired into our brain.
While everybody has the possibility for this harmful cycle, some individuals are more predisposed than others due to genetics or their environment. Some individuals are alcoholics from the beginning. Others begin as a moderate drinker and then become alcoholics afterward. How does that occur?
Repeatedly abusing chemicals permanently rewires the brain. If an individual begins with a low genetic predisposition for addiction, he or she may still wind up with an addiction. If an individual repeatedly abuses substances as the result of environmental or other social factors, it may permanently rewire the brain. Each time an individual abuses chemicals, it fortifies the wiring associated with these substances, and the more one chases the “dopamine” effect, the greater the chance of developing a physical dependency.
Life has lots of challenges, interpersonal battles, physical and emotional hurting, loss, and tension. It’s the same for anyone – no one goes through life unscathed. Some individuals also go through some trauma, be it a young life marked by abuse, neglect or the tragic loss of a loved one; a near-death experience as a grownup; being the adult victim of crime or abuse; or any number of triggers.
Regardless of anything else, genetic addictive personality or not – what matters most is how you manage situations. All of us learn diverse “coping mechanisms” as youngsters. For instance, as a little kid you might have clutched a favorite blanket or sucked your thumb to soothe yourself when you were frightened. As you grew older, you might have used humor to ward off or hide emotional hurt, or acted out if you wanted attention from distant parents. Maybe you took a healthier route and transferred angry or painful feelings into exercise. In either case, one important tool to have on your anti-addiction belt is confidence and self-belief! Belief in self is the ultimate addiction fighting tool!
If you’re having a hard time wth self-belief, here is a great tool that can set you on the right path with your coping skills.
Maybe you learned to utilize substances, food, gambling or relationships as a way to cope. Substance abuse is among the most popular – and destructive – means of coping with a tough life for many adolescents and adults. Many, if not all, addictions begin as a doomed attempt to relax following a stressful day, chill out after a conflict with a loved one, feel more positive in an uncomfortable social situation, or dull dreadful feelings of rejection or loss. It worked so well at first, you did it over and over. Before you knew it, you were coping this way each time you felt stressed or went through unwanted emotions. And now, you fear you’re addicted.
If not falling into the addiction trap is one of your goals, it’s crucial to study the coping mechanisms you’ve been utilizing over the years. You’ll discover that among the keys to choosing a better path is making certain you identify bad coping techniques and start to replace them with fresh, healthy ones. Doing this will help keep you on the right path.
Check out this video on addictive behavior.
In future articles, we will look at good coping mechanisms.
In closing, the answer to the question, is an addictive personality inherited? The fast answer is partly yes and partly no.
Addiction can be to anything that one has a hard time leaving alone and impacts their lives in a negative way. All addictions work in the same area of the brain and the emotions. Addiction is addiction is addiction no matter the object.
The true answer lies in how one deals with situations in order to stop an addiction before it even has a chance to get rolling, and even to change an addiction if it has a foot in the door.
Look for more articles on this subject coming soon.
To your best life…
