Debate continues on why some people suffer from addiction, also known as substance use disorder, while others do not.
Scientifically, family studies that include identical twins, fraternal twins, adoptees, and siblings suggest that as much as half of a person's risk of becoming dependent on nicotine, alcohol, or other drugs can be a result of their genetic makeup.
Substance use disorder is a complex brain condition characterised by compulsive substance use despite the negative consequences. SUD is considered a brain disorder because of functional changes to areas in the brain due to repeated substance use. Areas of the brain that can be affected are those that govern stress, reward and self-control.
It is critical, however, from the onset to clearly indicate that having a genetic predisposition doesn’t mean one will develop an addiction. Genetics is just one part of the many factors that can impact your overall risk.
To plainly explain this phenomenon, every person responds to drugs and medications differently. Maybe you’ve even experienced it. Say you take some medication and it works well. But the same medicine does nothing for a friend and makes another feel sick. Differences such as these are often caused by differences in genes.
With that in mind, then it is important to also understand that when scientists hunt for addiction-related genes, they are looking for genetic variations associated with these types of responses.
A vulnerable person may have a high preference for a particular substance. Or experience extreme withdrawal symptoms if they try to quit. On the other hand, a person is less vulnerable if they feel no pleasure from a drug that makes others euphoric.
According to the Genetic Science Learning Center, substance use disorder sometimes runs in families. This is mainly attributed to the fact that there is an inherited component, meaning it can pass from parent to child by way of genes.
For this reason, your family history offers clues about how vulnerable to addiction you might be. For example, if you have a close relative that’s affected, it’s a clue to be extra careful.
What this means is that even if you have a family history of addiction, you’re not necessarily guaranteed to develop an addiction. You need to have access to the drug, use it repeatedly, and be exposed to certain environmental influences in order to develop an addiction.
In general, genes are thought to account for about half of a person’s risk of addiction.
Many factors play a role in addiction. Complex interactions between an individual’s genes and the environment, including their upbringing as well as other biological, social and cognitive factors can potentially increase someone’s overall risk of substance use and addiction.
Mwangi is Manager, Corporate Communications, Nacada [email protected]
Twala is Manager, Counselling and Rehabilitation ([email protected])
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