Is Alcoholism Genetic or Learned Behavior?

For the past four years, I have learned a lot about my parents. I grew up in a household with two alcoholic parents. Three years ago my parents divorced. My father’s alcoholism was to the point where it was the alcohol, or the family. He had made his choice very clear. When I helped my dad move into his new house a little under a year ago, I remember he told me something. Something that has suctioned to my brain, like a leach. He told me “Well someone had to get it, it’s genetics. Dad was an alcoholic so it had to be one of us.”

1. Is There Genetic Proof of Alcoholism?

Although the growing number of studies done on alcoholics have learned more toward alcoholism being tied into genetics; I believe that there is a slight difference. I believe that our genetic code had partially to do with our susceptibility to develop Alcohol Use Disorder (or AUD, another technical term for alcoholism.). I also believe that if the adults drank around their children the children learned that drinking is an acceptable behavior. Especially if the adults drank in excess. This sort of learned behavior along with the already susceptible genetic code creates a mixture of the psychological and the physical.

2. How can someone tell if they are genetically susceptible to alcoholism?

I did not find anything that had said about whether or not someone can tell that they have a genetic predisposition to alcoholism. Although if I were to take a genetic test I definitely think that I have to have some kind of genetic predisposition because both of my parents were and still are alcoholics, I have at least one grandparent who was an alcoholic. And if I am genetically predisposed does that make my brothers predisposed the same way that I am? Or did the gene not affect me and affect them?

3. Is there a way to neutralize an alcoholic gene?

There are ways to transfer human genomes from one person to another. However I don’t think it is actually possible for a human to freeze a genome. We have however come up with the technology to edit the genetic code through CRISPR, it finds a specific code in the DNA and edits that piece of DNA out. CRISPR has been used to disable genetic mutations. So if Alcoholism truly has a genetic root, theoretically using CRISPR technology, they can go in and alter the genetic coding so that the gene no longer affects the person.

4. What are the ties to alcoholism and gender?

I know in my family that there is a relatively long line of alcoholics that come from my fathers side of the family. My dad, my dad’s dad, a bunch of random cousins and whatnot that come from my dad’s side of the family. They all have alcoholism. On my mom’s side I have an aunt who is an alcoholic, but other than that I never really am around them enough to see if they are alcoholics or not. I know that alcoholism has differing physical effects on men than it does women. But is there a genetic effect that takes place in men then it does women.

5. What genes are affected by alcoholism?

While researching about this topic last semester, I found that there are three genes that have been linked to AUD. The first of which had only been found in Eastern Asian populations with little to no caucasion ties whatsoever. The Second found only in African populations. And the third found to make the person who inherited the gene more likely to not consume alcohol rather than be an alcoholic. There is a specific mutation of a gene that can lead to increased risk for AUD, that causes a chemical change in the body.

6. Is there a possibility that alcoholism skips a genetic generation?

If there are genes that are connected to alcoholism, then I would assume that those genes would behave like any other gene in the gene pool. Meaning that they would be able to skip generations, have the ability to mutate even further, they even have the possibility of turning recessive and only showing up every generation or two. For every genetic disease, there is a deformity in the genome itself. Who knows, maybe it is an untapped X-Gene and we are all going to turn into superheroes that use alcohol to their advantages.

7. Is there a genetic connection between generations and alcoholism, or is it just learned behavior?

If I am being honest, from what I have personal experience in I think that this “Genetic Excuse” that alcoholics seem to have, is rediculculus. There might be ties to alcoholism and the genetic coding of a human, but I do not believe for one second that alcoholism is solely from a genetic factor. I think that it is partially a learned behavior. It is a behavior that is exhibited by parents, and through growing up and always watching your parents, thinking that the behavior of alcoholism is acceptable when they get older.

Conclusion

Therefore, when looking at the genetics of alcoholism there is a lot of compelling evidence that proves that alcoholism can be a complex genetic disease that even comes with its own variants and mutations. It’s effects physically can differ between men and women but is there a genetic difference? And if I am being honest, I have no doubt that genetics have an effect on the risk of development of AUD, but I do not believe that Genetics alone is the sole cause of Alcoholism. There is a link to the cause of alcoholism in our genes, but there is also a link in an individual’s psychology.

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