Dean,

There was a study by George Washington University during the 1970's that my brothers and I participated in regarding alcoholism. They looking for a possible genetic factor of alcoholic parents and their children(s) subsequent alcohol problems.

I remember reading a preliminary report which indicated a genetic factor, but waffled about the causation. The report basically said it needed further study.

I never did see any final report.

The subject of the gentic link to alcoholism is like the subject of a genetic link to any behavior--murky.

It appears that, without question, there is a genetic predisposition to it. The problem is that some people then take that and spin it into a belief that the genes have some sort of Svengali-like ability to force you to drink, or whatever. That's false.

What appears to be true, from my reading anyway, is that people with a genetic predisposition to alcohol tend to have an exaggerated response to alcohol, to release endorphins at a higher-than-normal rate when exposed to alcohol, and to start with and develop very high levels of tolerance for it. Thus they are in danger of a certain spiral, where booze makes them feel VERY VERY GOOD, more than a normal person, AND their systems can tolerate more of it than other people, which puts them into a spiral of wanting it more and more than other people. Where the normal person's metabolism would make them start to feel sick or uncomfortable, the alcoholic just keeps wanting more.

An interesting way of looking at that is to suggest that, in many ways, alcoholism starts out as a sign of good health, or a symptom of good health. It is a pleasure-seeking response. If you look at people who are very ill, very despondent, they tend to stop responding to pleasurable stimuli. Ask anyone who's worked with terminally ill patients, for example: at some point the will to live, and the ability to feel pleasure in everyday things, begins to diminish, whether it's food or sex or anything else. The alcoholic, even when he's terribly overindulging, is still "healthy" in the sense that his brain is saying, "Everything's good, everything's just getting better, let's have more of this!" with none of the normal circuit breakers that say "stop, you've had enough."

All that appears to have at least some genetic basis.

What you do with it, however, is a different question. I do believe that some alcoholics progress to the point where they've all but lost the ability to make themselves stop. I don't think they start that way.

Sometimes they need help finding their way out of it. Sometimes, something happens to wake them up first.

Dean,

The Moderation Management sounds interesting. I'd like to manage my behavior which results in too much reading and commenting on blogs, without giving it up.

You're a word-pusher, you know.

Yours,
Wince

Dean, curious since you're exploring hypnotherapy, whether or not you had looked into accupuncture or other Eastern methods.

As a long-time practitioner of Tai Chi, I wouldn't be surprised if there was info out there for someone struggling with addiction.

Looking forward to the continuing essays.

Research the connection between alcohol addiction and addiction to the benzodiazepines (xanax, lorazepam, etc.) They work on the same receptors. if one was to have a genetic predisposition for a specific type of addiction, it could theoretically rely on some inherent weakness or overstimulation of certain parts of the noggin.

Hi Dean! Long time no visit, no comment! warm hugs to you and Rosemary! I will email you with the location of the new blog & all the yummy details.

Less than two months will make 3 years of sobriety for me. It's no joyride, it's hard work. And AA/NA DID help, it was nice to know that they were there when I needed the help, and the "fellowship". However, the thing that always nagged at me from the back of my mind was how cultish it seemed...chanting, working steps, calling someone every day, repeating cute little sayings. A form of brainwashing. Maybe that's the point?

The past year and a half I have remained sober and have not participated in a 12-Step program. I have a list of my personal triggers and I have countermeasures listed right next to those so I am armed with weapons against relapse. I guess when all is said and done, it really comes down to how much the person really wants recovery.

Was recently in a therapy center and had addicts/alkies around me going in for their 28 day programs. One of the things I learned that was surprising to me was that heroin users, when they stop using, are automatically alcoholics. Something in the way the brain starts making a new chemical in the brain that can be found both in alcoholics and heroin addicts. (interestingly enough, this chemical is not found in non-alcoholics' brains). So heroin users who get clean cannot drink one drop of alcohol or it'd be a relapse.

I'll look up info on that chemical, I'm curious to remember now. If ya need any recovery info or help, lemme know!