Addiction is a disease, having been long classified as such by the medical establishment and, therefore, is usually understood within that framework by professionals. Yet the man on the street doesn’t often have that conception of addiction, seeing it as a matter of choice, unaffected by outside factors or other complicating features, including family history. Yet addiction can often have a grounding in an inherited predilection to substance abuse, and approaching the issue with that in mind can transform one’s comprehension of the issue.
By understanding addiction as a family disease, breaking the stigma of substance abuse can become possible.
It is well known that many diseases run in families. People who had parents with a heart condition are more likely to have one, too. Certain types of cancer often seem more likely to appear in the line of descent. Diabetes can have a genetic component that makes family history a factor.
This is also true of addiction for some people. While anyone can become addicted to the right drugs, some are more likely to grow addicted in a short amount of time given exposure. And there is alcohol, for instance. Alcohol, as a legal substance, is a common factor at social gatherings and casual settings. Many people view drinking alcohol of some kind as a way to unwind, relax with friends and enjoy themselves. For them, drinking a couple of beers and stopping is easy.
For others, this is not true. Once they begin drinking, they find it hard to stop and they begin to show an unhealthy attraction to alcohol. Their behavior becomes destructive and self-sabotaging as they increasingly prioritize drinking over any other priority. And, sadly, this negative reaction to alcohol is often genetic. Many alcoholics have family members who also demonstrate all the symptoms and behaviors of substance abuse with regard to alcohol. It can prove to be an ongoing family scourge.
Yet while this family history of drug abuse or alcohol addiction can be tragic, it also allows us to better understand addiction as a disease, rather than a matter of willpower and bad decision-making. Many tend to look down on addicts, judging them for their behavior without a shred of empathy. But by approaching the situation with the knowledge that addiction can be an inherited problem, we can better understand that many addicts never meant to become addicts at all.
After all, many people approach drinking their first alcoholic beverage as a rite of passage when young. Everyone is expected to do it. But for those with a family history of addiction, this seemingly innocuous rite of passage can be a gateway to sorrow and tragedy. Only by understanding this family connection to addiction as a disease can we look past the stigma and judgment of others and begin to look to treat the disease and help the addict reach recovery.
At Good Landing Recovery, addiction is perfectly understood as a disease and family history is taken into account when looking into the beginnings of that disease in the patient’s life. Doctors can better treat patients with this knowledge in hand and help the addict find acceptance and healing rather than stigma and shame.