Introduction to Understanding Alcohol Addiction

You may become aware of someone you know who has addiction problems (alcoholism, prescription drugs, street drugs etc). He may be someone you care about. She may be a family member. What do you do? How do you begin to understand what he is going through? Would you rather not see? Do you care enough to be part of the solution? Here are some thoughts to start with.

A key to understanding the substance dependent person is to know yourself and how you feel about the problem. Is it a lack of moral fiber that they drink and drive? Is it a weakness of character? Is it a lack of will? Is it sociopathy? Is it your fault? Did you make him this way?

How you answer the questions determine your understanding of drug abuse and your willingness to open to a different paradigm. Consider these:

• Like asthma and diabetes, alcoholism and drug dependence is a chronic relapsing illness. Like asthma and diabetes, alcoholism and substance dependence is marked by periods of recovery and relapse.
• It is an equal opportunity disorder. It respects no race, creed, gender, or socioeconomic standing. It could be you, a neighbor, a friend, your mother or sister.
• Although there is a definite familial and genetic disposition, environment and life events contribute to the start or maintenance of the addiction.
• Drugs alter brain physiology and chemistry. It may take time to reverse.
• Quitting the drug is not enough. It requires lifestyle changes and a lifetime of vigilance.
• It is not just and individual problem. It affects the entire family.
• It cannot be lectured away, wished away or loved away.

But lest you become discouraged consider:

The addict is somebody’s child, sibling, parent or spouse.You are loved even when you make mistakes.

People can change.

Understanding the Possible Causes of Addiction

You wonder how it is that you can drink a couple of drinks while a friend cannot seem to stop until he is falling down drunk. Why is it that some people just cannot quit drug use despite losing their family, fortune, freedom or health?

The National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA) defines addiction as “a chronic, relapsing brain disease that is characterized by compulsive drug seeking and use, despite harmful consequences.”

Here are some important points in regards to alcohol and drug abuse:

Heredity: Addiction has a strong familial tendency.

Scandinavian studies of identical twins of alcoholic parents separated and adopted by non-drinking families showed a high incidence of later alcohol addiction. Twins from non-alcoholic parents adopted into drinking families showed a low incidence alcoholism in adult life.

A brain wave peak called P300 is decreased in alcoholics as well as their non-alcohol consuming children implying these children to be at risk for addiction.

Biology: Drugs of abuse change brain function. 

Drugs of abuse affect the reward center of the brain known as the mesolimbic dopamine system (MDS.)

Alcohol and other drugs affect messengers known as neurotransmitters. Among them:

• Dopamine - important in the reward pathways
• Serotonin- involved in mood, temperature, sleep, and pain pathways
• GABA- produces a damping or calming effect
• Glutamate- excites or stimulates

The faster the drug reaches the brain, the more rapidly addicting the drug.

Smoking a drug is the quickest route as the drug is rapidly absorbed through the lung/ blood interface. Intravenous injection is the next fast route, followed by snorting and lastly, by oral ingestion.

The brain adapts to the effects of the drug requiring more and more of the substance to create the desired effect, a condition known as tolerance. When the drug is not available the body reacts with discomfort causing withdrawal symptoms.

Environment: Elements in the environment serve as risk factors for addiction. 

Family: Family attitudes about drug abuse influence children and adolescent drug use.

Families with a permissive attitude about drug use tend to encourage child and adolescent drug abuse. Family dysfunction is a major risk factor.

The younger the age of first use, the more the likelihood of addiction. It is estimated that many children begin drug use at around 12-13 years.

Peer group: Hanging out with peers who abuse drugs or engage in problem behaviors increases increases the likelihood of drug abuse.

Trauma: Traumatic life events which may cause numbing and escape responses can lead to alcohol and drug abuse and subsequent addiction.

It is important to remember that there is no one cause of addiction. Only about 10 per cent of individuals who abuse drugs become addicted. Addiction results from the convergence of genetic predisposition, biological factors, emotional and psychological vulnerabilities, and predisposing environmental conditions.

Resources:

Genetic Science Learning Center, “Environmental Risk Factors for Addiction,” Learn. Genetics, 14 April 2009, (14 April 2009)

DrugAbuse.gov Science of Addiction (retrieved April 14,2009)

NATTC.org (April 14,2009)

UTexas.edu Hooked (April 14,2009)