Addiction In Families

[SoCalShordie]

I wasnt sure where exactly to post this so please move if necessary lol. I was wondering if any of you have children who also became addicts to the same drug, or addicts at all? Just something I’ve been thinking about. I wonder if it’s true about my daughter being predisposed to addiction as both her father and I have had history of drug addiction. I’ve gone through my phases of being dependent on different drugs. My babydaddy’s family as well. Is it genetic? Or maybe bc we as her parents are clean and sober now she’ll never see us on drugs so it won’t affect her? I know lots of people whose parents were addicted to meth, now they’re grown and they’re on meth too etc. Just wondering if you parents out there think it’s habits seen and learned or if it’s genetic?

 

[negrogesic]

There definitely is a genetic component to it. I think ive read that around 40% to 60% of one's risk of addiction stems from genetic factors. The rest of course, is environmental factors. So, throw in a little environmental trauma, and boom = drug addict (or gambler, sex addict etc -- except those are a little different, especially the second one).

Genetic factors like variations in genes that encode for dopamine receptors can affect how pleasurable or rewarding a person finds a drug, so for one person, a line of coke might just feel a bit stimulating but for another they may feel like they're on top of the world.

Genetics also impact other things, like how well your endogenous opioid system functions. For me, I can remember times when I was a kid that when looking back on it now, almost felt like I was in opioid withdrawal (despite never having taken opioids). This is likely because compared to the average person, my natural endorphin production is low or perhaps my opioid receptors are low functioning. So, when I was 16 and took morphine for the first time ever, I was like, "holy shit, where has this been my whole life?, whereas another person might just feel tired and maybe a little giddy.

I will never, ever forget that first time I took that morphine. I was 16, and my friends dad died of cancer so there was a bottle of leftover morphine. I was like, "cool, a bottle of morphine, that seems like a badass thing just to have". My friend said I could have it, so I took it.

That bottle of morphine just sat on a shelf in my bathroom medicine cabinet for months. Then one night, after getting into a fight with my girlfriend, and then getting bitched out by my mom, I was really stressed out, so I said fuck it, lemme try some of this morphine.

So I took just 20mg (at like 1am), and then went to watch TV. Eventually, this warm sense of peace came over me and thoughts of my girlfriend stopped bothering me, and I drifted off peacefully to sleep. That morning I woke up to a bright, beautiful sunny California day; the sun was out and shining, there was this glimmer to the air and the birds were out singing and everything just seemed so beautiful. I hadn't remembered sleeping that well since I was a tiny child. It felt like a piece of me that had been missing my whole life had been suddenly been put back in me. I felt renewed, restored. Everything just seemed so perfect and beautiful that next morning, and i felt so at peace; i could enjoy the beauty of this world for what it was. It makes my eyes water to recall this, I remember it so clearly. And of course, it is also a very sad memory, because this is in essense the very moment that I became a drug addict. Unfortunately, it turned out this wasn't the answer to my problems and would only serve to bring me much more pain later in life.

But the thing is, I never suffered much trauma in my childhood, I was never abused, I grew up in a wealthy family; nothing really bad or traumatic happened to me. I had no social issues and always had many friends, school came easy to me, I was a "pretty" boy and girls liked me, and had very few struggles. But since the age of around 5-6 I just never quite felt comfortable internally, just always on edge and physically uncomfortable in my own skin, kind of dysphoric and cold, alot like symptoms of mild opioid withdrawal. I mean, how many 7 or 8 year old kids do you know of that suffer from insomnia? In any case, it wasn't my environment that caused this, my environment was pretty much ideal; for me it was genetic.

So yeah, there is a major genetic component (in my case, it was essentially 100% genetics, 0% environment). A strong genetic component seems to be particularly contributory opioid addiction, as well as probably alcoholism. What I notice with primarily stimulant abusers, like those who's main drug is meth or cocaine, they seem to have suffered alot of trauma in their early life.

 

[Salem_is_tired]

I have huge alcoholics in my family from both sides, the most recent being my grandparents - I have countless stories about my grandma, and what she did while drunk, some are funny some are really not. But to the point: I (personally) think, it is more of a learned thing, rather than genetics, or at least this is how I always say it I'm my circle of friends/people I knew deep enough to talk about it. My mom was never strick about drinking - don't black out or be "that drunk", and always drink with close friends, were basically the only rules we had to follow. I only remember one time she got angry regarding something like this - when my sister arrived at home at 3am, not able to stand still, and of course with some random guy's car whom she hardly ever met before - and the guy was probably not sober either. My mom give her a fucking big slap, and than asked her in the most deadly voice "Do you fucking realized what could have happened, you ass?"

I like drinking, but I saw one too many people going down hard by it - people I really loved. I always stop, and hardly ever go above tipsiness. I think my mom had a great "tactic" - I never went to hard on it even during high school, because it was not "forbidden fruit" that I only could do when I was far away from home. If we had vodka and some juice at home, or some other sweet shit, she always asked my if I wanted a glass. Even now when I visit home, sometimes she buys that awful whisky+coke shit for my from Penny :D I think she just thought me about responsible drinking in a really good way.
But of course, addiction can happen even after something like this. Last year I had a few months when I was drinking way too much (at least for what I usually drink) but luckily I caught myself, and my partner was also really helpful.

So I think it is more learned, and based on what the kid sees growing up, but yeah again, I'm stupid and don't really know about/understand genetic stuff, but I would not be surprised if there would be studies showing that addict's kid are just more potent to get addicted to something.

 

[snmfmy]

From my experience, I would have to say that the predominant driver in addiction is availability and reinforcement of use by your social circle and your family.

If your kids see you and other family members and friends in your circle using and that continues until the age where they would use, it's extremely likely that they will use and become an addict, regardless of any potential genetic component.

If there are a lot of negative consequences for them in their life with respect to your drug use or family drug use many times, those negative pressures result in someone who refuses to ever use a drug much less become addicted. More often than not, the aversion is against the specific drug of choice of the parent.

I have immediate family members and extended family members that this is illustrative of.

One family members mother was a lifelong heroin addict. She refuses to even use opiate-based pain medication. Only uses cannabis and alcohol socially. And refuses to use any psychedelics, stimulants, etc.

Another family member whose father was an alcoholic and would physically assault them, refuses to use any drugs at all.

On the other hand, many family members who had parents or siblings in active addiction depending on their circle of friends and how acceptable drug use and addiction was; either became, users or addicts, very few abstain.

@SoCalShordie If you don't want your daughter to become a drug addict, don't have her around people that use drugs.

Don't allow her to be in an environment where drug use is acceptable, all kinds of drugs are available, and the drugs are provided to her for low or even no cost.

Don't have her in a social environment where drug use is celebrated like rap/hip hop culture.

An absolutely positively do not allow her to have a romantic partner, boy or girl that is a drug addict. That's a guaranteed way for her to become one. Cuz after the first time you have sex on some good drugs it's hard to stop.

I personally don't believe that genetics drives addiction. It may at a biological level allow for a somewhat larger level of pleasurable reinforcement from the use of drugs, however, it's just like gun violence.

If you don't want your kids to die from gun violence, don't allow them around people or in an environment where people have guns and where guns are used to settle differences instead of the courts.

After all, it would be kind of ridiculous to say that the genetics of black or Hispanic people predispose them to dying from gun violence.

 

[snmfmy]

@SoCalShordie

And to answer your question:

I have three children, they all know what substances I use and all absolutely know that I was an off and on alcoholic for 30 years which for them is their entire life.

None of them are any more than social users of some substances. None are an addict.

My oldest socially drinks twice a week out with friends. Uses cannabis a couple times a week. Dabbles in empathogens like ecstasy and mushrooms almost exclusively at music festivals.

My middle regularly uses cannabis socially. Does not use alcohol at all. Has experimented with mushrooms and ecstasy but it is very intermittent on the order of a handful of times.

My youngest may drink one or two at special occasions. Only with family. Specifically does not use any other substances.

Have a very open and honest relationship with my children.

I and my spouse made sure that their formative environment did not expose them to drug culture. Friends were highly curated with respect to the friend and the friends family. If there wasn't a stable home structure of two parents or an extremely stable, single parent with a very in-depth social safety net is the best word I can think of. They weren't allowed to be friends with those kids.

They weren't allowed to go to parties unless we knew the family where the party was occurring and the parents were going to be at the party. I are my spouse would physically go into the residence to confirm and if there was anything shady going on they got back in the car and that was the end of their association with that friend for a while if not permanently.

There was absolutely no acceptance of recreational drug use prior to them attaining their age of majority with the exception of very minor use of beer or wine at special family occasions.

We didn't even make an exception for cannabis.

My children were never aware of my stimulant and psychedelic substance use until they were well into their late teens. They were never exposed to any environment where any of my friends or family that took stimulants or psychedelics were.

 

[Neuroprotection]

very interesting topic here.
Personally, I believe both genetics and environment Play major roles in the likelyhood of someone becoming an addict, although I’ve come to the conclusion that environment is probably slightly more important. for example, someone with a genetic phenotype that makes drugs more rewarding is obviously more likely to seek out and repeat the experience, which in tern puts them at higher risk of addiction. meanwhile, as many others have rightly said, environmental factors like drug acceptance, peer pressure, trauma and drug culture are incredibly powerful forces that can drive pretty much anyone down the road of addiction regardless of genetics.
Just to make things a little more complicated, we can consider the role of Epigenetics. however, I do think this is really important. epigenetics is when cells start over expressing or repressing certain genes in response to environmental or chemical factors. it is a phenomenon that helps them survive. or adapt in response to major changes. all addictive drugs trigger epigenetic changes in the brain when used long-term and these are very stable and long lasting. it is these epigenetic changes that sustain the addiction process. therefore, if you use an addictive drug long enough, it is likely insignificant or irrelevant what your previous genetic background was.
I can clarify more if anyone wants.

 

[Neuroprotection]

There definitely is a genetic component to it. I think ive read that around 40% to 60% of one's risk of addiction stems from genetic factors. The rest of course, is environmental factors. So, throw in a little environmental trauma, and boom = drug addict (or gambler, sex addict etc -- except those are a little different, especially the second one).

Genetic factors like variations in genes that encode for dopamine receptors can affect how pleasurable or rewarding a person finds a drug, so for one person, a line of coke might just feel a bit stimulating but for another they may feel like they're on top of the world.

Genetics also impact other things, like how well your endogenous opioid system functions. For me, I can remember times when I was a kid that when looking back on it now, almost felt like I was in opioid withdrawal (despite never having taken opioids). This is likely because compared to the average person, my natural endorphin production is low or perhaps my opioid receptors are low functioning. So, when I was 16 and took morphine for the first time ever, I was like, "holy shit, where has this been my whole life?, whereas another person might just feel tired and maybe a little giddy.

I will never forget the first time I took that morphine. I was 16, and my friends dad died of cancer so there was a bottle of leftover morphine. I was like, "cool, a bottle of morphine, that seems like a badass thing to have". My friend said I could have it.

That bottle of morphine just sat on a shelf in my bathroom medicine cabinet for months. Then one night, after getting into a fight with my girlfriend, and then getting bitched out by my mom, I was really stressed out, so I said fuck it, lemme try some of this morphine.

I took just 20mg (at like 1am, I couldnt sleep), and then went to watch TV. Eventually this warm sense of peace came over me and thoughts of my girlfriend stopped bothering me, and I drifted off peacefully to sleep. That morning I woke up to a bright, beautiful sunny California day, the sun was out and shining, the was this glimmer to the air and the birds were out chirping and everything just seemed beautiful. I hadn't remembered sleeping that well since I was a tiny child. It felt like a piece of me that had been missing was suddenly filled, something that had been missing my whole life. I felt renewed, restored. Everything just seemed so perfect and beautiful that next morning, and i felt at peace. It makes my eyes water to recall it, I remember it so clearly. In essense I was instantly an addict, but unfortunately it wasn't the answer to my problems and would only serve to bring me more pain.

I never suffered much trauma in my childhood, nothing really bad happened to me. But I never quite felt comfortable, just always on edge, kind of dysphoric and cold, alot like mild opioid withdrawal. It wasn't my environment that caused this, it was genetic.

So yeah, there is a major genetic component. I believe this is particularly true with opioid addiction, as well as probably alcoholism. What I notice with primarily stimulant abusers, like those who's main drug is meth or cocaine, they seem to have suffered alot of trauma in their early life.

Sorry to hear about your situation and I hope things get better for you.
It looks like you definitely have a very strong genetic component and it’s really interesting that you might have experienced undertones of opioid withdrawal before ever using opioids. if this was indeed an opioid deficiency, I think it is more likely slight underproduction of endorphins rather than deficient receptors.
Although this is purely theoretical, I think you might benefit from an experimental drug like a selective Kappa opioid receptor antagonist to help cancel out excessive/maladaptive negative emotions whilst not interfering with the healthy negative and positive emotions needed to function appropriately in life.

 

[skipjames]

I don t have children (yet) but the story of Marlon Richards , the son of super junkies Keith Richards and Anita Pallemberg, gives me hope: his parents were super addicts, he witnessed the craziest shit since he was a toddler, but nonetheless is said to despise drugs , especially heroin, and of being a very straight n sober family man. So u never know!

 

[Jnowhere]

First, let me say that it is great to hear that you and your daughter's father are clean and sober. I have never heard as much on drug addiction being genetic but alcoholism is. Alcoholism is not a guarantee for those with a parent or two who are, but it definitely increases the odds tremendously.
I think the best thing you and the babies father could do is for both of you too maintain your sobriety and be good parents and try your best to keep her away from drugs and people who use them. Hopefully with lots of love and being good and vigilant parents that hopefully she will never end up making some bad choices. Good luck

 

[TheUltimateFixx]

I've seen that claim made a ton of times, but never read a single convincing study to back it up. There isn't such a thing as THE 'addiction gene'.

What on the other hand there most certainly is are genetic predispositions towards certain character traits. Someone who is by nature impulsive and sensation-seeking is going to be more likely to get into drugs than somebody with the opposite personality. The same goes for somebody with a low frustration tolerance, low stress tolerance, not good at handling delayed gratification etc.
So yes there's genetic factors for our basic personality traits, which IN TURN put some people more at risk for developing addictive behaviours than others. But that's about all it is. The matter is complex; the environment in which we grow up and interact shapes us regardless of our genetics, nor does 'genetic predisposition' towards xyz in any way amount to 'doomed from birth' to become xyz - yet that's how this simplistic idea of 'addictive genes' is generally touted.

Addiction is a behaviour a person develops due to a great variety of factors, it's not comparable to a congenital disease which you have to be worried about passing on to your children. It's not Huntingdon's.

Sure, statistically kids from households where the parents are drinkers or druggies end up with the same problems more often. I find little reason to believe that's because they somehow 'inherited' those. Again any studies aiming to conclusively 'prove' this got about as far as the ones trying to pinpoint the elusive 'gay gene'. On the other hand what's easily observable is that children will model themselves on their parents; if daily drinking and drugging is going on as the child grows up, that will be their normal. If drug-using friends regularly come to the house, he'll also be exposed to that general milieu from a young age. Then there's the fact that such parents are often also neglectful, and home life is chaotic or abusive. It's only natural to seek an escape from such an environment, and what easier more obvious way than to get out of your head on whatever substances are being freely used around you?...

Nobody in my family that I know of had drug or alcohol problems, yet I did. Where'd I 'get it from' then, if it's supposedly inherited?
Plus ask any random person whether they know somebody with such problems, and the majority will either know someone personally, or know someone else who does. By that metric addiction runs in everyone's families.

As a hypothesis the 'addiction gene' is unconvincing. What I HAVE however tragically seen a ton of, are self-fulfilling prophecies where somebody developed an addiction because family members had, and absolutely everybody around that person kept repeating the mantra to them that they were basically genetically programmed to end up the same way. "You'll be a drunkard just like your father and grandfather." "You wait, by the time you're 18 you'll be a useless junkie just like your brother." "She'll never amount to anything, the whole family is a bunch of drugged-up losers." etc. etc.

Seeing yourself on some fixed inescapable trajectory is the surest way to end up there. It's a well-known phenomenon in human behaviour that we will unconsciously try to fulfil a script we've internalized, regardless of whether that script is a negative one.
In this particular case, not only is the 'born to be an addict' script more likely to ensure you become one, but also that you stay one. It makes people apathetic and fatalistic about their options. It makes them resigned about any possibility of lasting change because after all what could ever help you if you assume you were simply 'born that way'. It ALSO lets you abdicate any responsibility for your actions every time you go back to drugs. "Well I couldn't help it, it's my genes."

If you're not using around your kids, if you're a good and loving parent to them, I really wouldn't worry. Just whatever you do DON'T put the notion in their heads whether directly or indirectly, that they have some special vulnerability to addiction just because you're their mother. As in, don't get visibly concerned when they wanna try their first sip of alcohol and tell them they 'can't' because they're different from normal people and will become an alcoholic if they ever drink so much as half a lager. And yep sadly that's a real-life example I've personally encountered.

 

[kiely]

Yes it is great and much needed to have support and a firm family structure that is healthy along with happy. Healthy non-violent communication and empowerment of self respect and care and love together as a family. And learning that strength. Because drugs are Everywhere !!

 

[Jnowhere]

I don't know that there is a genetic predisposition to drug use, but alcoholism, definitely.

 

[TheUltimateFixx]

I don't know that there is a genetic predisposition to drug use, but alcoholism, definitely.

That distinction makes ZERO sense. Ethanol is just another psychoactive drug. Just because we label it differently because it's legal and other commonly used substances aren't, doesn't put it in some special category.

Treating alcohol differently from other drugs also doesn't check out in terms of the general theme of people getting off it just to switch to something else and vice versa. The only observable commonality I see is that some people appear to have some inherent desire to change their mental state by whatever means are available to them, while others don't.

 

[kiely]

I don't know that there is a genetic predisposition to drug use, but alcoholism, definitely.

I think it is just easier to 'get at.' You could actually steal the stuff. I mean people even just give it away.
And add genetic predisposition and yikes. ( Or not to good. ) yeah.

 

[Jnowhere]

That distinction makes ZERO sense. Ethanol is just another psychoactive drug. Just because we label it differently because it's legal and other commonly used substances aren't, doesn't put it in some special category.

Treating alcohol differently from other drugs also doesn't check out in terms of the general theme of people getting off it just to switch to something else and vice versa. The only observable commonality I see is that some people appear to have some inherent desire to change their mental state by whatever means are available to them, while others don't.

Beer and wine have a legitimate use as a beverage. In ancient Egypt it has known as liquid bread, and for thousands of years wine was one of the few beverage choices. Most people who drink, can handle drinking in moderation. People who use crack, heroin, fentayl or meth on a very regular basis for years or even decades become addicts. Most people who drink don't end up a sad, worthless, pathetic drunken mess, like I did.

 

[skipjames]

Beer and wine have a legitimate use as a beverage. In ancient Egypt it has known as liquid bread, and for thousands of years wine was one of the few beverage choices. Most people who drink, can handle drinking in moderation. People who use crack, heroin, fentayl or meth on a very regular basis for years or even decades become addicts. Most people who drink don't end up a sad, worthless, pathetic drunken mess, like I did.

In Western culture sure, as in other cultures opium & hashish have or had a legitimate medical recreational and culinary use while alcohol is frowned upon. Alcohol had and still has devastating effects on non european people , was a useful weapon against Native Americans and can completely destroy the indigenous tribes down here in Brazil ( for instance it s w crime here to sell booze to the índios).

 

[Jnowhere]

For some genetic reason, certain indigenous people are prone to alcoholism. North and South American Indians, Eskimos, Inuits, and aborigines to name a few. They have laws against it on many reservations, and land owned by indigenous people. But they gave the white man tobacco

 

[Soso78]

For some genetic reason, certain indigenous people are prone to alcoholism. North and South American Indians, Eskimos, Inuits, and aborigines to name a few. They have laws against it on many reservations, and land owned by indigenous people. But they gave the white man tobacco

How do u know it’s genetic? Aren’t lots of indigenous living in poverty? Maybe it’s a social problem not genetic?

 

[kiely]

For...

I think we all have those prone genetics in this forum somehow. Or I could be wrong though.

There is a lot of alcoholism, drug and abuse on the Reservations too. It seems to be everywhere.

The disease is spreading. The best way is be free. Work smart.

I think I forgot to reply to you in one thread. I can't find rn. I am okay. Because I am trying to be.

How are you doing @J you Rule

 

[Soso78]

I think we all have those prone genetics in this forum somehow. Or I could be wrong though.

There is a lot of alcoholism, drug and abuse on the Reservations too. It seems to be everywhere.

The disease is spreading. The best way is be free. Work smart.

I think I forgot to reply to you in one thread. I can't find rn. I am okay. Because I am trying to be.

How are you doing @J you Rule

How do u be free/work smart?