Alcoholism and Family History

If you have a parent, grandparent, or other close relative with alcoholism, you may have problems with alcohol down the road. Many studies of children of alcoholics have found that they are about four times more likely to develop alcohol problems, says the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA).

But alcoholism isn’t determined only by the genes you inherit. In fact, more than half of all children of alcoholics don’t become alcoholics. Many factors influence your risk of developing alcoholism. These include how your parents raised you, your friends, your stress level, and how available alcohol is.

Knowing that you’re at risk is important, though, because you can take steps to protect yourself.

Certain symptoms

According to the NIAAA, alcoholism is a disease that includes the following four symptoms:

1. Craving—a strong need or urge to drink

2. Loss of control—not being able to stop drinking

3. Physical dependence—withdrawal symptoms, such as nausea, sweating, shakiness, and anxiety, when you stop drinking

4. Tolerance—the need to drink greater amounts of alcohol over time

What to do

If you’re worried that your family’s history of alcohol problems or your troubled family life puts you at risk of becoming alcoholic, here are some steps from the NIAAA to help prevent it:

• Avoid underage drinking. The risk for alcoholism is higher if you begin to drink at an early age. This is because of both social factors and genes.

• Drink moderately as an adult. If you have a family history of alcoholism, you are at greater risk of becoming dependent on alcohol. You should approach even moderate drinking with caution, because you may find it difficult to stay at that level.

Seek help        

If your family has problems with alcohol and you’re concerned you may be heading that way as well, talk with your doctor or substance-abuse counselor. They can recommend support groups or organizations.

If you’re an adult who already has begun to drink, your doctor can assess your drinking. He or she can tell you if you need to cut back and advise you how to go about it.

Medical Reviewer: Whorton, Donald, M.D.
Last Annual Review Date: Thursday, December 06, 2007
Copyright: Copyright Health Ink & Vitality Communications