Does addiction run in your family? You might be asking this if you have several members of your family who have struggled with some form of addiction, or if you seem to be struggling with it yourself.
You might wonder if there is a genetic component causing the addiction.
While every individual deals with a unique combination of factors that might contribute to addiction, one of them can be genetics. There are several dozen genes in the human body that get passed on through the generations and can increase your risk of developing addiction to things like specific drugs or alcohol. Some simply increase your risk of addictive behaviors in general, and that could extend to things like gambling or sugar.
So what can you do if you have a family history of addiction?
Genetic Ties to Addiction
Your genetics account for:
- Sixty percent of your risk of addiction
- Fifty-four percent of your ability to quit an addiction
However, this is not because of a specific gene that turns addiction on or off. Rather, it is related to dopamine receptors. These receptors, like D2, have a direct correlation to your risk of developing addiction, and if you have fewer of these receptors, you are more likely to become addicted.
As these genes, among others, are often hereditary, if your direct family members have fewer D2 genes, then you might too, making the risk of addiction higher across your family.
There are several other genes that can tie directly to specific addictions like cocaine or alcoholism, but science indicates that genetics is simply one of several components that can lead to addiction, with trauma, particularly in childhood, and your environment being an equally significant potential risk factor.
Getting Help for Addiction
If you are struggling with addiction and you have a family history of addiction or are worried about a genetic risk of addiction, we can help. At East Coast Recovery, you can participate in flexible outpatient programs that make it possible to get the treatment you need without compromising your work or personal schedule.
We know how difficult it can be to seek help, especially if that help comes at the cost of leaving your home for several months at a time. That is why our goal is to offer programs that last several weeks on a part-time or full-time basis that can be fit into things like holiday breaks or vacations, as well as traditional outpatient programs.
Given the overlap of causes like your environment or your risk of trauma, we also provide a wide range of therapy types, like therapy for dual diagnosis. This is a type of treatment for addiction and other mental health disorders at the same time, like addiction and depression or addiction and PTSD.
East Coast Recovery Can Help You Overcome Addiction
Overall, there are many genetic components that can increase your risk of developing an addiction. If you believe that your family has a genetic component and addiction seems to run in your family, our team can help.
At East Coast Recovery, we specialize in several levels of outpatient programs, including day treatment, partial day treatment, and traditional outpatient, creating a place where you can focus on your recovery using a modality suited to your individual needs. With an array of different treatment programs, we make it possible to find what connects best with you.
We also ensure that our recovery space isn’t a sterile office but rather an uninviting location that includes things like Friday group sessions on the beach with transportation included, cookouts, an easily accessible outdoor space, and local community event participation.
Does addiction run in your family? If so, reach out to our team today to see about treatment for yourself or a loved one.
FAQs
Are There Genes That Cause Alcoholism?
Studies have found genes that are linked to a higher risk of alcoholism. Things like ALDH1 and ALDH2, GABRA2, and CHRM2L have been shown to increase your risk of alcoholism. However, there are several other factors that can increase this risk, including your environment, any trauma you may have sustained, brain damage, medication you might be on, and several other factors.
What Genes Cause Addiction?
There are many genes responsible for how you deal with stress or how likely you are to develop an addiction. Abnormal HIST1H2BD has been linked to an increased risk of cocaine addiction. But abnormal MAOA and SLC6A4 have been shown to change how your body handles stress, and how likely you are to use addictive substances to manage that stress.Â
With so many different potential causes and influencing factors, your genetics may only be one part of your risk profile. However, regardless of the causes, we are here to help you find flexible outpatient treatment for addiction.
If My Family Has an Addiction, Will I Get It Too?
Addiction is not a contagious condition, so having a family member with addiction does not automatically mean that you will develop an addiction as well. However, if there is a genetic predisposition, it means both you and your family members have a higher likelihood of developing addiction.
Similarly, your environment can increase your risk of addiction, so if you regularly see your family members abusing drugs or alcohol as a socially normal behavior, this can make it more likely that you will develop an addiction. If you are struggling with addiction and looking for help, our team is here. Call today.Â
What Causes Addiction?
There are many potential factors that contribute to the risk of addiction. There is no single cause or single thing that means you automatically develop an addiction. Rather, your environment, any trauma you may have experienced, any secondary mental health disorders with which you struggle, and your genetics can make it more or less likely that you will develop an addiction.Â
For example, someone who struggles with regular poverty or who grew up in an area with high crime might be more likely to struggle with controlling impulses and emotional regulation, increasing the risk of addiction. Someone who was exposed to a traumatic event or has an undiagnosed or untreated mental health disorder might turn to drugs and alcohol as a way to self-medicate.
No matter the cause, there is always help for addiction. Reach out to East Coast Recovery today.Â
