It has nothing to do with belief. It is science. Research and facts. Just like believe it or not aspirin will thin your blood and lower your temperature when you have fever.
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Well… My mum was a heavy gin drinker and nicotine dependent. I think its pretty obvious that that affected me as I developed in her womb receiving all that poison into my system.
I have had serious issues with depression and unwanted behaviour patterns since my teens (that’s 45 years now).
I’ve had years of psychotherapy, group therapy and so on, attended AA etc but still struggle. Divorce has meant I’m on my own now which obviously doesn’t help.
I’m very grateful for 2 supportive sons, 2 supportive brothers and you dear people in this wonderful community of wounded souls.
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Both my parents are or were, my mum is no longer with us, people who can give or take alcohol. When I was growing up there was a drinks cabinet in the house that always had bottles in it.
I however have never been able to open a bottle of whiskey without drinking it within a week or two.
Personally I feel it’s something that all humanity has a predisposition to.
Whether we become dependent on it would depend on our life experiences. Our choices in life. Our expectations not being realised through life. And how we choose to deal with this.
All can lead to us feeling the need to escape if we find ourselves overwhelmed by life.
We all know these substances are addictive so we become dependent on the high to deal with life.
I believe that it’s life and how we choose to deal with life that’s makes us dependant on these substances.
As I said, my theory based on my own thoughts being an alcoholic and sometimes drug user.
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I think addiction is far too complicated to label as one thing or another. I do think there must be some sort of genetic component. Something has affected my brain, my emotions, my biochemical processes. But I do think there is a behavioural component too. It’s just so complicated.
As an aside my mother was an alcoholic, my father is not but drinks too much. My sister has never drank a drop (well, she drank enough once yo decide it tastes disgusting to her). I am an alcoholic. I think there’s some genetics there…but my sister is an anomaly!!
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I totally agree geo
I should also add that I don’t necessarily think “genetic” means there is a specific gene for addiction. It could be that there is a mutation on some gene that alters normal biochemical processes. That isn’t necessarily a hereditary mutation. Genetics are so complicated.
But if it is a specific gene I would suspect it is a recessive condition. It’s the only way to explain why it is a small portion of the population that CAN’T control drinking. If A is the dominant gene AA and Aa people would be normal drinkers…only aa people would show the disease.
Doubt it.
Just for argument sake, my Dad was a big drinker from when I was 6 to 17 and then my mother left him because of it. I wouldnt say that his drinking/addictive personality is the reason I have one though. He is now a normal drinker - he has beer, wine and spirits at home all the time but has no regularity on how much he drinks anymore and doesnt even think about it. I know I’m not able to do that.
No, my addictions are my own responsibility. No-one else’s.
I wasn’t looking for an excuse. Just curious on people’s thoughts about it. As I said, it doesn’t make s difference.
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Well I am of Irish descent ( my excuse) 
and my grandad from Ireland was a drunk. But my parents were not. I am the only one of my siblings with a drinking problem. One of my kids drinks pretty hard, the other does not drink at all. So nothing is ever etched in stone.
I don’t think being an alcoholic is genetic but I do think the tendency towards obsessive behaviours may be. I do not know of one single blood relation of mine who is or was alcoholic, it’s just me, however my dad had ocd as did his mum and so do I, both my sons also have strong tendencies towards it. I think our lifestyle, experiences (including being exposed to alcoholic relatives) and ultimately our choices contribute to which obsessions we indulge, for me it was alcohol amongst other things
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Alcoholism runs in both sides of my family .all the way back to the 1500s on my Native father’s side. My brother and mother are sober now, as am I. My (half) sister rarely drinks.
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I am sexual due to my genes. But my genes never told me to act out. Acting out was a reaction to my environment. It was my choice based on ignorance. I couldn’t see where it would lead. If genes deserve the blame, then Toyota deserves the blame when I get pulled over for speeding in my Corolla. They made my car capable of doing 120 miles per hour. But they didn’t tell me to do it. No. Wait. It must have been their genes that made me do it.
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I’m not really sure how I feel about it. I started around 13 or 14 and wasn’t able to stop from that very first time. I just loved it so much. First rehab at 16. However, I am literally the only person in my entire family with a problem. But that’s just my story. I’m sure there is a whole lot of research that’s much more comprehensive than just any one story. JMHO
It’s not about laying blame. I’m just generally interested in the possible causes.
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Too many people are reading this as looking for excuses. It’s not. It’s about better understanding alcoholism in order to keep fighting it as best possible…and also, just being curious.
How do you know those behaviours are linked to exposure in the womb?
I really couldn’t tell u if it is genetic. In my family I am the only addict/alcoholic. No one else even remotely drinks and has never used drugs. BUT… the addictive thinking I feel runs in my family. They all have their own vices that I feel they may be possibly addicted to… example food, work etc. So it’s hard to say. I do think tho that my mental health had alot to do with me becoming addicted to drugs/alcohol. At least that was a leading factor in me experimenting with them which lead to an actual addiction.
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This is something I have wondered about. I’m not looking for an excuse or blaming my family for my choices. All I know is my father, brother, and I all have ADD. I’d call that hereditary. And it just so happens the 3 of us are all also alcoholics (my brother’s going on a year sober and my father, to the best of my knowledge, hasnt drank in weeks after a long stay in the hospital due to alcohol complications), but drinking as a family was never a thing for us. Now, my mother cant drink 2 glasses of wine without throwing up. There is no addictions in her side of the family but more than half of her extended family has committed suicide due to depression and other mental disorders. My depression, thankfully, has greatly decreased since I’ve stopped drinking. My brothers has as well bc he was suicidal for years while drinking. I’ve read many different articles on this subject, most contradicting each other. Still dont know what to believe but I know now that I was the one who made every choice to use. No one ever forced it on me. I liked it and enjoyed it for a very long time, no matter the consequences, until enough was enough. I do believe it is a lifelong disease, but whether or not it’s caused by my genes or life experiences or both, I’m happy to be sober now. That’s my bottom line.
I can’t prove it but I understand there is research that points to the embryo perceiving a lot in the womb and also receiving a lot of what the mother imbibes / smokes.
Genetic / DNA / generational “stuff” - it’s all there but we can’t deny our own responsibility to act as best we can today to be more healthy body, mind and spirit.