Can Alcoholism Spread Through Family Members?

Feb 25, 2022 | Alcohol Detox

Why Might Alcoholism Run in Families

There is a growing prejudice against those who might have family members who have struggled with varying addictions in the past. Whether it was substance or alcohol abuse, it really doesn’t matter. The growing stigma must be fought, and this is one of our goals here at Taylor Recovery Center in Houston, Texas.

The question on everybody’s minds is this: can alcoholism spread through family members?

If you’re a part of a family suffering from alcohol use, you might notice that some of these alcoholic tendencies run through family members. No, this isn’t your imagination telling you so – it has actually been proven through complex genetic tests.

There are two main things that affect the spread of alcoholism through family members: genetics and alcohol exposure. There are two genes that have most of the effects on alcoholism, and these are ADH1B and ALDH2. Although, there is always more to this than genetics alone.

Here at Taylor Recovery, we believe that alcoholism might be caused by 50% genetics and 50% alcohol exposure. It’s as simple as that.

Sure, it shows that you can inherit an alcohol disorder through genetics, but this is only partial. Not only that, but genetics doesn’t necessarily mean that each person’s future is written in stone. We can still break barriers and ultimately break the alcoholic cycle in the family.

Another reason why people might think that alcoholism spreads is because of the exposure that most younger people get whenever they see their elders or their parents drinking constantly. This is such a bad habit, and this is why parents must never show their children that they are drinking or even smoking. This is something that parents have to bear in mind.

Honestly, these are simply two reasons why alcoholism might spread through family members. However, there’s good news: you can break your family cycle today!

Here at Taylor Recovery Center, we believe that alcoholism is something that you can fight off. As we’ve previously stated, this isn’t set in stone, so this is something that you can break. Once you get the right treatments, your road to alcohol addiction recovery will commence, and your lives will be so much better.

Remember that you are not alone and that we can fight this disorder together.

Give us a call today at Taylor Recovery Center to check out our beautiful facility in the heart of Houston, Texas.