can alcoholism run in a family history like

[mcied150]

high blood pressure? i heard that if you have had a family member that was an alcoholic (my grandfather was and died cuz of it) then it can be passed down in generations and make generations to come more suseptaple to it. if this is true, does this mean i should stay away from alcohol all my life. I know its not right but every once in a while i do drink...im 15 and the first time i got drunk i was 10. but im not like dependent. please serious awnsers. thanks :)pretty much my grandfather entire family are alcoholics including his brothers, sister and cousins, and nephews. Also if this helps we have irish decent lol.

[sum girl]

yes that is true. there are very high chances. so if it runs in ur family, stay away from the booze or it might stick to u too

[steracrudy]

Absolutely. Unfortunately alcoholism does and will run in families. And although it is considered a disease alot of physicians don't consider it as such because they feel its something you can control, unlike other diseases that people cannot. Please be careful with your choices when it comes to alcohol. Even though something like alcoholism is hereditary, it unlike cancer can be controlled and you can break the chain in your family.

[J D R]

yes, you are absolutely more susceptible and i would stay away from it just to be on the safe side. I come from a family (all on my mother's side including her!) of alcoholics and I try to avoid it because i can see exactly how it could become addictive. i have a drink every now and then but never do i get drunk because the potential is too great! good luck!

[Dion]

Yes, people can be predisposed to addictions based on their family history. So it is important to know as much family history as possible it can help someone be more vigilant in trying to avoid certain diseases and addictions. It does not mean you should avoid alcohol completely only that you should drink responsibly (like we all should). Know that you have to be even more cautious than someone who does not have your family's history.

[Neville]

OK, briefly, there is no one gene or set of genes that have been identified as predisposing you to alcoholism as such, however the hereditary link may exist in the personality characteristics you do inherit, such as being introverted, which are in turn affected through the nurturing process.The upshot is that charcteristicly you are at risk and teen drinkers are at a greater risk due to the huge amount of brain development going on, particularly in the area of consequential thinking. The best thing you can do is leave it alone completely until you are at least 20 and have educated yourself a little more on this.

[will of Bath]

My maternal father's father (my great-grandfather) lost his fortune due to alcohilism- compounded by gambling- on the horses.He was Northern Irish- but I'm unclear whether he was Catholic or not- as it was not terribly common for Catholics to be wealthy men in those days.As a result my grandfather was a tea-totaller, but two of his sons (my maternal uncles) became alcoholics- one chronic and a prolific horse-race gambler.My elder brother too abused alcohol but he managed to straighten up his life as he hit mid-30's.I think the trait to be substance addicted is indeed genetic- but one must question whether it is self-medication for an underlying mental illness.

[Liberty]

I would suggest staying away from it your whole life. If you're only 15 and being exposed, then that's the fast track to being an alcoholic. I have a long history of Alcohism in my family. Please listen to me. Please. You don't want to go there. It may seem extreme, but just don't do it. I'm an alcoholic. My Dad was, my Aunts were etc. You don't want this life for you. I wake up in the morning shaking because I drank so much the night before that I forgot to eat. I have health problems because of it, and I've wasted 3/4 of my life on beer. It should be something you never ever touch. There will be peer presure and chances to drink. Don't start smoking, drinking or doing drugs. You will regret it.

[healthfreak]

A small amount of alcohol would not bring harm effects but if you were to drink everyday and excessively, this could bring long term problem like high blood pressure.