How Drug and Alcohol Addiction Develops: Genetics
Well, the experts got together-expert psychiatrists-and they decided that the prime suspect in the case of ‘what causes us drug and/ or alcohol addiction’ is genes and genetic predisposition. At the annual meeting of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, they discussed why it is that one person can take an addictive drug or have a few drinks and walk away unscathed and unchanged, while others do the same thing and end up addicts and alcoholics who need drug and alcohol rehab to get better.
According to the Royal College of Psychiatrists, it turns out that the answer lies deep in the brain and is determined by our genes.
Dopamine and Drug Addiction
Wim van den Brink is a professor at the Academic Medical Centre at the University of Amsterdam in the Netherlands and an expert in the field of addiction. According to Medical News Today, he says: “Addicts have fewer dopamine or pleasure receptors in the brain and consequently seek out more and more stimulation.”
Says Professor van den Brink: “Addicts find it difficult to receive pleasure. They are not likely to enjoy most of the ordinary things most of us enjoy, experiences such as a day at the beach or a night at a club. They are looking for more and more stimulus.”
What is an Addictive Personality?
Of course, the term means that you’re more likely to become addicted to a pleasurable activity or substance than the average Joe. But according to Professor van den Brink, “The emotional memory of the ‘wonderful experience and the drive to repeat it leads to craving and relapse.” It also means that you’re less likely to fully appreciate the fact that the short-term pleasure provided by prescription painkillers and other opiates means long-term physical, emotional and spiritual damage, at least not enough to be able to use willpower alone to maintain a drug-free life.
Are Genetics The Only Cause of Drug Addiction?
No. Genes and brain chemistry alone do not turn a person into a drug addict. Environmental influences also play a part. No matter what your inclination may be, you can’t become an addict if you don’t first use drugs or alcohol, and you can’t use drugs and alcohol unless they’re around you. Environment then, the influence of those around you, sheer opportunity and availability of different drugs will also play a part in whether or not you experiment with different drugs as well as determine whether or not you have the option to use regularly.
With continued use, addiction causes a decrease in dopamine receptors, which means an increase in addiction. “In this way, addicts become even more interested in drugs and drug-using friends,” says Professor van den Brink.
Drug Addiction Treatment
For those who have a genetic predisposition, it is more important that you avoid experimentation. However, once drug addiction develops, earlier treatment is far more effective than later treatment. It may even be helpful for you to include your family in your drug addiction treatment program to help you avoid relapse when you return home.
If you would like to learn more about our drug addiction treatment and family therapy programs, contact Michael’s House today.
