Alcoholism: Is It Rooted in Your DNA or Influenced by Your Surroundings?

 

Cartoon of alcoholism

Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD), more commonly known as alcoholism, is a serious and detrimental disorder that affects millions across the world. There is a high probability that you could know somebody who struggles with AUD. About 5%, or 29.5 million, of the entire world’s population has been diagnosed with alcoholism according to the article, which has been peer reviewed, “Is Alcoholism Genetic?” by Hope Gillette. Gillette also states that more than 800,000 of the 5% is children aged 12 to 17.

According to EVERYDAY HEALTH alcoholism has a couple of signs and symptoms these include withdrawal symptoms, drinking longer and more than intended, your thoughts consisting of when your next drink will be, and giving up activities once loved to drink. While both genetics and environmental factors can be an influence on AUD, it is important to understand the cause to determine the best treatment option.

Genetics can play a role in how likely someone is to develop AUD. While it is easy to just state AUD is genetic it is more complicated than that. According to the article “Is Alcoholism Genetic?” the author states that genetics could impact the probability of developing AUD. The author writes that it could be even a 3 to 4 times higher chance to develop alcoholism if addiction is known to run in your family.

While researchers have not found a gene that directly links to addiction, genetics can still relate to how likely you are to develop AUD. This doesn’t mean that everyone in your family will develop AUD just because some of your family members have struggled or are struggling with alcoholism.

There are other factors that can play into if someone can develop AUD. These factors include the environment you were raised in. The article “Is Alcoholism Genetic?” states that if you were exposed to alcohol through childhood, have mantal health conditions, trauma, homelessness, and being naturally impulsive you have a higher chance of developing AUD.

One of the parties that have the biggest risk is those with mental health conditions. According to the article “Risk Factors: Varied Vulnerability to Alcohol Related Harm”, 20% to 40% of people that have been diagnosed with anxiety have also developed symptoms of AUD. About 15% to 30% of people that have been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder have also been diagnosed with AUD. This statistic being even higher with veterans, between 50% to 60%.

It is important that the people who have developed the symptoms of AUD can get the help that they need. There are a couple of different options that can help different people. You could either voluntarily check yourself into an inpatient program or go to therapy and AA meetings. It is better for people that are deep into AUD, as well as those who have that genetic factor, to go into inpatient care to help with the transition and withdrawals. If it was an environmental factor that contributed to the person developing AUD, then only going to therapy or AA meetings could be helpful. It is important to note that if therapy and AA is not working inpatient care might be the next step.

There are also some medications that can help people with AUD. According to the Mayo Clinic these medications are called Disulfiram and Naltrexone. Disulfiram will cause you to have adverse reactions to drinking like headaches, nausea, and vomiting. The medication Naltrexone will block the good feelings from drinking which will hopefully lessen the desire to drink. These medications can be better for someone who doesn’t think they can do it all themselves and need more help than therapy.

You might be sitting there asking “why should I care about other people?” It is very important to help these people, especially if they are a part of your family. Many families have been torn apart from someone’s decisions. Many people lose loved ones because of this disorder. According to the study “The Collaborative Study on the Genetics of Alcoholism: Overview” the author states “Worldwide, about 5% of both deaths and burden of disease are attributed to alcohol consumption.” 5% is a lot more than what one might think, this is equal to about 38.76 million people worldwide that have either died or have become physically ill from AUD.

Many people will most likely feel it is not their problem what other people do, it doesn’t affect me. While AUD might not directly affect you it could have a lasting impact in the long run. Alcoholism also affects the economy. If you care about the economy, then you should care about the people who could be affecting it. According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism in 2010 alcohol abuse cost the United States a total of $249 billion and underage drinking accounts for about 9% of that total cost. It is important to help these people so it can also help the economy.

It is important to help those who are struggling around you. To help your community come together instead of breaking it apart. It is also important to be there for your friends and family who could be struggling with AUD. You need to be a support system for them to help them figure out the root of their issues. There are some ways that we as a community can help reduce the development of AUD. According to the CDC, we could create limits on how often someone can buy alcohol. We could put in place a system where state governments limit how often alcohol retail stores can be open. Whether it be open just 2 or 3 days a week or to lessen the operating hours of these stores. This can help reduce the access to alcohol and hopefully prevent the development of AUD. I also think it is important that we teach college aged people the signs of AUD and ways to reduce their own chance of developing it. College aged people are known for underaged drinking and abusing alcohol. We should have more support systems in place to protect and support these students.

Overall, alcoholism can be a result of the combination of genetics and environmental factors. It is important to educate yourself and others on the signs and symptoms of AUD to help the people around you.

If anyone you know, or you yourself, seems like they could be struggling with AUD, you can call the SAMHSA helpline at 1-800-662-4357.