Why do some people become addicted while others don't? Family studies that include identical twins, fraternal twins, adoptees, and siblings suggest that as much as half of a person's risk of becoming addicted to nicotine, alcohol, or other drugs depends on his or her genetic makeup.
More than half of the differences in how likely people are to develop substance use problems stem from DNA differences, though it varies a little bit by substance. Research suggests alcohol addiction is about 50 percent heritable, while addiction to other drugs is as much as 70 percent heritable.
Brain imaging suggests that people with fewer D2 receptors are more likely to become addicted than those with many of the receptors--and how many of these receptors people have is, in part, genetically determined. Of course, environmental factors also play a role, so propensity isn't destiny, Volkow added.
Genetics play an important role in the development of drug or alcohol addiction; in fact, research shows that about 40 to 60 percent of an individual's susceptibility to addiction is related to hereditary factors(2).
Although people can have genes that predispose them to developing an alcohol use disorder, genetics only account for approximately half of a person's overall risk. The rest of these predispositions come from the social and environmental factors that a person encounters throughout their childhood and life.
Psychopathological studies have observed that alcoholism and affective disorders (e.g., depression and mania) interact and can coexist; moreover, the vulnerability to both alcoholism and depression can run in families (Merikangas and Gelernter 1990; Merikangas et al. 1994).
Research has shown that the two genes ADH1B and ALDH2, which control alcohol metabolism, are key factors in developing alcoholism along with several others. Some who do not have genetic risk factors may develop alcoholism if raised in an environment that encourages or normalizes maladaptive drinking behaviors.
Specific genetic testing may one day help better identify individual susceptibility for addiction. Health care providers see the benefit of genetic testing to potentially help determine a person's unique addiction risks, but it's an area that requires more research.
Biological factors that can affect a person's risk of addiction include their genes, stage of development, and even gender or ethnicity.
The personality profile of high neuroticism, low agreeableness, and low conscientiousness was associated with all four addictive disorders.
Research conducted and funded by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) has found that many mental disorders are caused by a combination of biological, environmental, psychological, and genetic factors.
ADHD tends to run in families and, in most cases, it's thought the genes you inherit from your parents are a significant factor in developing the condition. Research shows that parents and siblings of someone with ADHD are more likely to have ADHD themselves.
A complex mix of environmental, behavioral and genetic factors appear to raise this risk for nicotine dependence. Studies of groups of twins suggest that 40 to 70 percent of the risk factors are heritable.
There is a clear connection between people who suffered from childhood trauma and addiction. If someone had at least four traumatic encounters, they are way more likely to develop alcohol user disorder, more likely to develop substance use disorder, and 60% more likely to become obese.
Drugs or alcohol can hijack the pleasure/reward circuits in your brain and hook you into wanting more and more. Addiction can also send your emotional danger-sensing circuits into overdrive, making you feel anxious and stressed when you're not using the drugs or alcohol.
General Addiction Statistics
As of 2020, over 37 million people 12 and older actively used illicit substances. 13.5% of Americans 12 and older have used drugs in the past 30 days. 25.4% of all users of illicit drugs suffer from drug dependency or addiction.
Biological approaches to addiction treatment attempt to correct or modify the presumed underlying biological causes of addiction. This approach follows a logical rationale. If we know what caused something to become broken, we can fix it.
Some of these genes have been identified, including two genes of alcohol metabolism, ADH1B and ALDH2, that have the strongest known affects on risk for alcoholism. Studies are revealing other genes in which variants impact risk for alcoholism or related traits, including GABRA2, CHRM2, KCNJ6, and AUTS2.
Peer pressure is a strong factor in starting to use and misuse drugs, particularly for young people. Lack of family involvement. Difficult family situations or lack of a bond with your parents or siblings may increase the risk of addiction, as can a lack of parental supervision.
Context Innate differences in opioid neurotransmission are hypothesized to influence abuse liability of alcohol. In humans, a variant of the μ-opioid receptor gene (OPRM1A118G) increases receptor affinity, alcohol-induced euphoria, and risk for alcohol use disorders.
In 1980, the third edition of the Manual, DSM-3, identified alcoholism as a subset of a mental health disorder. The current edition, DSM-5, classifies alcoholism, now referred to as Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) or Substance Use Disorder (SUD), as a mental disorder presenting both physical and mental symptoms.
Alcohol use disorder is a disease of the brain. Over-consumption literally changes brain chemistry, and as tolerance to alcohol increases, the person must use more and more to feel the same effects, further damaging both the body and brain.