Man drives 12miles with headless corpse

09-09-2004, 08:52 PM

From what I understand, addiction is a sort of complex mix of genes and environment. You have a given number of genes, let's just say 8, for the sake of discussion, that can be turned off or on for addiction. Then you throw in environmental factors on top of that. So a person who is born with all 8 addiction genes turned off could be raised by a couple of drunks, loose their entire family in a car wreck, be homeless on the street and still not turn to alcohol. On the other hand, someone born with all 8 genes turned on could be raised somewhere where alcohol doesn't even exist, travel out to the real world at age 21, have one drink and be addicted from that time on. Most of us fall in the middle of those two extremes. I think that how it works, anyhow.

Cyber Wolf · 09-09-2004, 09:50 PM

Alcoholism does tend to run in the family. Of course it doesn't mean you WILL become an alcoholic, you just run a higher risk of it...like high blood pressure or allergies. A friend of mine's father is one in a family long known to have drinking problems and I think he described it to me well. He said that when the alcohol gets into his system, something in his head clicks and he feels 'just right' and the more he drinks the better he feels in his head. However, when the alcohol starts to get metabolized and leaves his system, he feels increasingly 'not right' and wants to drink again to 'feel alright' again. Once it passes, he feels fine again. He does drink, but only on occasions like birthdays, Xmas, wedding anniversary and the like. He's very aware that he could turn into a raging alcoholic but refuses to let himself do it...mainly because he watched his own father drink himself to death. Alcoholic poisoning.

Troubleshooter · 09-10-2004, 08:19 AM

It is a complex issue, and almost everything or anything in your life can be a factor, genetic predispostion to chemical dependence, genetic predispostion to addictive personality, social conditions in both the family and larger in-group, availability of alcohol, etc., etc.

An important question to ask though is whether the distinction between drunk and alcoholic is really that important. I'd rather work with an alcoholic who comes to work everyday and then goes home and drinks himself unconscious than deal with kids like these who let an inability to control their excesses get one of them killed.

glatt · 09-10-2004, 08:26 AM

My own experience is similar to lookout's. For me, it was drinking too much in college. I got drunk 2-3 times a week. Once I left that environment, I became a responsble, moderate drinker. Now I only drink a couple beers at a time, and do it infrequently.

A casual observer might have thought I was an alcoholic back then, but I don't think I was. I'm certainly not one now.

LabRat · 09-10-2004, 09:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by marichiko

From what I understand, addiction is a sort of complex mix of genes and environment. .... Most of us fall in the middle of those two extremes. I think that how it works, anyhow.

that's a great way to explain it, and you're right, most of us fall somewhere in the middle.

lookout123 · 09-10-2004, 11:20 AM

i guess i should point out that i was never a fall down drunk. although i consumed a high volume of alcohol, it was usually over a 5 hour or more period of time. in fact most of my friends at the time would get pissed at me because i never appeared intoxicated and never got hungover. i was always buzzed but i drank slowly so i was never loaded. at the same time i would see folks stroll into the bar slam 5 beers and a shot in a one hour, get completely loaded, act stupid and i would be thinking to myself "wow, they have a problem."

09-10-2004, 11:45 AM

Another thing I have noticed about alcoholics (and I've known several over the course of my life, some in recovery, some not) is that an alcoholic without fail will remember their first drink in precise detail. Like, "I was 16, it was the homecoming dance, and me and the guys got hold of a 5th of Jack Daniels"). Most people without a propensity to become alcoholic will only have a sort of vague memory of their first drink, "Hmmm, well, I suppose it would have been during my time at college. I can't really remember what I had. Probably a beer at a kegger or something.")

09-09-2004, 09:50 PM	#2
Cyber Wolf As stable as a ring of PU-239 Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: On a huge rock covered in water, highly advanced moss and 7 billion parasites Posts: 1,264	Alcoholism does tend to run in the family. Of course it doesn't mean you WILL become an alcoholic, you just run a higher risk of it...like high blood pressure or allergies. A friend of mine's father is one in a family long known to have drinking problems and I think he described it to me well. He said that when the alcohol gets into his system, something in his head clicks and he feels 'just right' and the more he drinks the better he feels in his head. However, when the alcohol starts to get metabolized and leaves his system, he feels increasingly 'not right' and wants to drink again to 'feel alright' again. Once it passes, he feels fine again. He does drink, but only on occasions like birthdays, Xmas, wedding anniversary and the like. He's very aware that he could turn into a raging alcoholic but refuses to let himself do it...mainly because he watched his own father drink himself to death. Alcoholic poisoning. __________________ "I don't see what's so triffic about creating people as people and then getting' upset 'cos they act like people." ~Adam Young, Good Omens "I don't see why it matters what is written. Not when it's about people. It can always be crossed out." ~Adam Young, Good Omens

09-10-2004, 08:19 AM	#3
Troubleshooter The urban Jane Goodall Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Florida Posts: 3,012	It is a complex issue, and almost everything or anything in your life can be a factor, genetic predispostion to chemical dependence, genetic predispostion to addictive personality, social conditions in both the family and larger in-group, availability of alcohol, etc., etc. An important question to ask though is whether the distinction between drunk and alcoholic is really that important. I'd rather work with an alcoholic who comes to work everyday and then goes home and drinks himself unconscious than deal with kids like these who let an inability to control their excesses get one of them killed. __________________ I have gained this from philosophy: that I do without being commanded what others do only from fear of the law. - Aristotle

09-10-2004, 11:20 AM	#6
lookout123 changed his status to single Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Right behind you. No, the other side. Posts: 10,308	i guess i should point out that i was never a fall down drunk. although i consumed a high volume of alcohol, it was usually over a 5 hour or more period of time. in fact most of my friends at the time would get pissed at me because i never appeared intoxicated and never got hungover. i was always buzzed but i drank slowly so i was never loaded. at the same time i would see folks stroll into the bar slam 5 beers and a shot in a one hour, get completely loaded, act stupid and i would be thinking to myself "wow, they have a problem." __________________ Getting knocked down is no sin, it's not getting back up that's the sin

09-09-2004, 08:52 PM	#1
marichiko Guest Posts: n/a	From what I understand, addiction is a sort of complex mix of genes and environment. You have a given number of genes, let's just say 8, for the sake of discussion, that can be turned off or on for addiction. Then you throw in environmental factors on top of that. So a person who is born with all 8 addiction genes turned off could be raised by a couple of drunks, loose their entire family in a car wreck, be homeless on the street and still not turn to alcohol. On the other hand, someone born with all 8 genes turned on could be raised somewhere where alcohol doesn't even exist, travel out to the real world at age 21, have one drink and be addicted from that time on. Most of us fall in the middle of those two extremes. I think that how it works, anyhow.

09-10-2004, 08:26 AM	#4
glatt ™ Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Arlington, VA Posts: 27,717	My own experience is similar to lookout's. For me, it was drinking too much in college. I got drunk 2-3 times a week. Once I left that environment, I became a responsble, moderate drinker. Now I only drink a couple beers at a time, and do it infrequently. A casual observer might have thought I was an alcoholic back then, but I don't think I was. I'm certainly not one now.

09-10-2004, 11:45 AM	#7
marichiko Guest Posts: n/a	Another thing I have noticed about alcoholics (and I've known several over the course of my life, some in recovery, some not) is that an alcoholic without fail will remember their first drink in precise detail. Like, "I was 16, it was the homecoming dance, and me and the guys got hold of a 5th of Jack Daniels"). Most people without a propensity to become alcoholic will only have a sort of vague memory of their first drink, "Hmmm, well, I suppose it would have been during my time at college. I can't really remember what I had. Probably a beer at a kegger or something.")

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