Is The The 'Addiction Gene' Real?

Addiction is a health menace that spares no gender, race, or community. Unfortunately, we all know of someone who is battling the problem. He is probably a former co-worker who cannot hold on to any job despite his qualifications. She is a favorite niece who dropped out of college and now spends her time making trips to the rehab center. He was a promising artist, like his father. But like his father, he chose drugs. What do you think went wrong? Poor coping skills? A dysfunctional household? A chink in their moral fabrics? Or was it a weak mind that led these people to hurtle themselves down the road to self-destruction?

The Genetic Connection Of Addiction

Scientific studies have linked drug addiction to genes. According to one study, genetic factors are 40 to 60 percent responsible for the drug addiction. Environmental factors contribute to the remainder of the vulnerability in individuals. Studies on twins, adopted children, and family members who share only a few genes show that alcohol and tobacco (nicotine) addictions tend to co-occur. According to this and other studies, a set of common genes is responsible for this co-occurrence; a person with such a genetic makeup is vulnerable to any kind of addiction, not just alcohol and nicotine.

Genes work to increase an individual's vulnerability to addiction in many different ways. To understand how genes work, it is worthwhile to first examine the nature of addiction. The subjects of addictions include drugs, nicotine, food, video games, medicine, and alcohol. Pathological gambling is an addictive behavior. Millions of people are exposed to one or more of these temptations every day. Some people are even required to consume certain potentially addictive substances, like some medicines, for prolonged periods of time, but not everyone develops an addiction.

Neurobiological Pathways And The response To Addictive Substances

Whether a person becomes addicted to a substance depends on how he or she perceives and reacts to it. These are, in turn, determined by specific neurobiological pathways that control behavior, susceptibility or resilience to various stress factors, and the reward responses. For instance, certain genetic variations influence novelty-seeking and impulsive behavior. Individuals with such behavioral traits tend to seek out addictive substances attracted by the promise of "high".

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Addiction is characterized by repetitive use of certain substances even though they are harmful. An individual feels compelled to keep on consuming a harmful substance if it tickles the pleasure center of his brain. This is the reward response. Some people are genetically inclined to have reduced reward responses to one or more addictive substances, so they do not feel motivated to keep up the use.

Inherited Gene Versions Influence The Degree Of Addictive Behavior

The presence or absence of some genes and certain genetic variations are known to determine how people react to nicotine and cigarette smoke. So, people with certain "protective" genes feel nauseous when they breathe in cigarette smoke and keep away from smoking while others who do not have this gene end up becoming chain smokers.

The addiction genes also determine how easy or difficult it is for an addict to quit. For example, certain genetic variations influence the severity of withdrawal symptoms. This factor determines whether a recovering addict will relapse or not.

Genes, Mental Diseases, And Addiction

The correlation between genes and addiction is also evident when you consider the link between mental illnesses and addictive tendencies. According to recent research findings, the substance abuse tendencies co-occur with mental illnesses like anxiety, depression, conduct disorder, borderline and anti-social personality disorders, and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Some studies also indicate that anxiety-related traits like social phobia and panic disorders increase the risk of alcoholism in young adults. This is because some mental diseases and addictions share neurobiological pathways like those that regulate behavior, stress response, and perception of rewards.

The Role Of Genetics And Environment In Addiction

Even though a slew of scientific studies have been conducted to decipher its nature in recent years, addiction still remains a stigma, a condition to be kept under wraps. Many addicts are ashamed to seek treatment or believe their conditions are irreversible. Meanwhile, their family members tend to blame themselves. Yet, addiction is a psychiatric disease just like any other physical malady. Like many complex diseases of the body, a combination of genetic and environmental factors can cause addiction.

There is no one gene that makes a person vulnerable to addiction. Neither do all addicts carry the same genes.

Research data point to the heritability of addictive disorders. The likelihood of a person developing addictive tendencies increases considerably if one or more of his near relatives, like a parent or a sibling, has an addictive disorder. Along with shared genes, environmental factors like increased exposure, easy availability, and early initiation to addictive substances also contribute to the development of addiction in a person.

The Virginia Twin Study is a landmark effort to determine the effects of genetic and environmental factors in addiction. According to the findings of this study, the development of nicotine, alcohol, and cannabis addiction during adolescence years is strongly influenced by environmental and societal factors. The genetic influence on such addictions becomes more pronounced during the person's middle age years. These findings are not surprising considering that as a person ages, he has more control over his choices and behavior.

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This understanding is also crucial to do away with the stigma attached with addiction and the discrimination, indifference, and neglect that addicts and recovering addicts face when they try to function in mainstream society.