Does Alcoholism skip a Generation?
Alcoholism is a family disease. Alcohol use disorder can also be genetic. Does alcoholism skip a generation? Yes. Alcohol addiction can skip generations, but it doesn’t mean the risk can disappear.
Families often look back at their history and wonder about the hidden patterns that relate to alcoholism. A grandfather has a problematic drinking problem, but his daughter does not out of fear of repeating his mistakes. However, her son faces a situation in which he is struggling with his own relationship with alcohol.
Just because a parent or both experience alcohol addiction, that doesn’t mean their children will also experience it. It also works vice versa. Just because a parent never experienced alcohol addiction doesn’t mean their children won’t.
Genetics can account for about 50% of a person’s vulnerability to developing alcohol use disorder. Genetics can increase your risk, but it never guarantees that you will develop the mental health disorder.
Does Alcoholism Skip a Generation?
There is no fixed biological mechanism that forces addiction to go from one generation to another. Nor is there a clinical answer for when alcoholism skips generations. Researchers have found that the apparent skip in generation is most likely a result of a series of complex psychological reactions to trauma.
Children who grow up witnessing the devastating effects of alcohol use disorder in a parent often make conscious and lifelong decisions to refrain from alcohol. They often associate drinking with pain, chaos and trauma.
But when these children have kids of their own (grandkids), those kids grow up in a more stable and alcohol free home. They are not exposed to the firsthand trauma of an alcoholic parent so they lack the deterrents that can lead to casual drinking with peers. They do this completely unaware of their biological risk. Addiction itself isn’t directly passed on, but there are hereditary vulnerabilities within family genetics.
Genetics that impact Alcohol Use Disorder
There isn’t one single alcoholism gene. There is not a single isolated gene that gets passed down from parent to child. Instead, researchers have discovered a very complex web of genetic factors that can contribute to the development of alcoholism. This means multiple genes interact with each other to influence your relationship with alcohol.
These genes can dictate everything from how your brain reward center communicates to how your liver works, how your body metabolizes toxic substances like alcohol, how sensitive you are to the effects of alcohol, your level of alcohol tolerance and how you react to symptoms of alcohol withdrawal.
There are two popular “alcohol genes” that are known to be the strongest link to alcohol use disorder. They are the ADH1B and ALDH2 genes. Variations in these genes can influence alcohol tolerance levels as well as cause uncomfortable side effects to alcohol, such as facial flushing, nausea and rapid heart rate.
These two major genes are also linked to the buildup of a chemical called acetaldehyde. This chemical is created as a result of alcohol being metabolized in the body. Some people who have certain mutations of these genes tend to have a higher level of acetaldehyde after drinking alcohol. This makes the person stay “high” or “drunk” for longer.
Environmental vs Genetic Causes of Addiction
About half of a person’s risk for developing alcoholism is due to genetic factors. Your DNA can set the baseline of your vulnerability. The other half is dictated by environmental factors. This part dictates whether that vulnerability is ever activated.
Children of alcoholics or of family members of alcoholics often experience a challenging family environment, which can increase their risk of developing an addiction. Growing up with a family history of alcoholism greatly impacts a person’s attitude and behaviors towards alcohol.
But on the flip side, some children of alcoholics who experience challenging family environments become more aware of the risks associated with addiction and can choose to fully abstain from alcohol or approach it with more caution. Sometimes, witnessing the destruction and consequences of alcohol abuse can serve as a powerful deterrent and motivate the person to avoid it altogether.
In another example of environmental influence, a person with a high genetic risk for alcoholism grows up in a supportive home and learns healthy emotional regulation and associates with others who don’t drink as much, are less likely to develop an addiction. On the other hand, a person with a moderate degree of risk for alcoholism who experiences childhood trauma, severe bullying or intense peer pressure can easily fall into chronic alcohol abuse.
These were all very different environmental settings that can dictate the outcome of a person’s risk for the development of alcoholism.
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Genetic Predisposition: How your brain works differently
Having a genetic predisposition to alcohol use disorder means you are born with a biological makeup that can make you more susceptible to addiction if you start drinking.
- The reward system. Some people inherit a brain that releases more dopamine when they drink. This makes the feeling of being high or drunk even stronger and more difficult to resist.
- The warning signal. Some people inherit a high tolerance for substances. They often do not feel the negative effects like dizziness or nausea as quickly as others. And without these stop signals from the brain, it can make it easier to drink too much and eventually build up a high physical tolerance.
- The clean up. Some people inherit a gene that makes them process alcohol more slowly. When this happens, toxins are able to stay in your system for much longer compared to the average person, who may experience being physically uncomfortable, which acts as a shield against addiction.
How to prevent hereditary abuse of alcoholism and Addiction
- Pay attention to how much you drink and how often you drink. Try to stay within moderate levels and avoid binge drinking.
- It is suggested to find activities that you enjoy that do not involve drinking, like spending time with people who do not drink.
- Avoid self-medication with alcohol or other substances for coping with mental illness, stress or problems.
- Be open with the next generation and talk about family history. Treat alcoholism like a disease that is nothing to be ashamed of.
- Delay the first drink. The human brain continues to develop until about 25. Waiting until at least 21 can significantly lower the risk of future alcohol addiction.
- Never drink to numb pain or handle stress.
- Establish boundaries. Create personal and social boundaries to protect your own mental health.
- Seek professional support such as AA, counselors, therapists or see your primary care provider.
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Treatment for Alcohol Use Disorder
Does alcoholism skip a generation? Not by any biological reason. But yes it can through psychological reactions to addiction within a family. The complicated connection between genetics and environment plays an important role in a person’s risk for developing alcoholism.
Professional behavioral health programs such as Hotel California by the Sea provide treatment for alcohol use disorder. We offer treatment at all levels of care including detox, residential, PHP and IOP. We utilize evidence-based methods such as CBT, DBT and family therapy. Hotel California by the Sea is dedicated to helping our clients reach their goals in sobriety and overcome their addiction.
References:
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5726917
https://www.freedomaddiction.ca/blog/is-alcoholism-hereditary
https://alcoholawareness.org/does-alcoholism-skip-generations/
https://projectcourageworks.com/does-alcohol-addiction-run-in-families/
https://www.goodrx.com/conditions/alcohol-use-disorder/is-alcoholism-genetic?srsltid=AfmBOoqtk-U5bAXbmD9a1ps2zdi0f5G_VVpjWT3txjK7a5N8AFsP_xnC
