9781422282472

13 CHAPTER ONE: A FAMILY DISORDER

of your hair or how tall you are, but they also contribute to your chances for addiction. In fact, about half of your chance of developing an alcohol addiction can be traced to genetics, and slightly more with other drugs. It’s important to keep in mind that you don’t inherit a substance use disorder; you inherit a vulnerability to it. That means you are more at risk of having problems with substance use than someone else. There is no single “addiction gene.” Instead, a combination of genes influences your chance of having substance use problems. Some people have a genetic makeup that allows them to drink without getting hungover, while others have a couple drinks and feel the effects the next day. Some use drugs and immediately feel an intense high, while others don’t feel much at all. Some can try drugs for a while and then stop fairly easily, while others have horrible withdrawal symptoms. Some might be drawn to drugs because they often feel depressed or anxious, while others might not experience these emotions as frequently.

Substance use disorders are said to “run in families.” This means you can inherit a vulnerability to that disorder. But it does not mean you will definitely have it.