It has some elements of heritability, meaning there are genetic components that can run in families. Whether or not you develop diabetes is based on a combination of your family’s genes and your personal lifestyle choices, like diet and exercise. You may be genetically more predisposed to developing alcoholism if you have a family member or ancestor who had an alcohol addiction. Growing up in an environment where alcohol is prevalent contributes to this risk.

Even with all the evidence and research behind alcoholism, some people still believe it’s a choice. Truthfully, the first use or the early-stage use of alcohol may be by choice. However, once someone’s drinking patterns become chronic, addiction changes their brain makeup, eventually causing them to lose control of their behavior. Besides the mental health portion of addiction, alcoholism is considered a brain disease because it affects its operation. Generally, alcoholism causes compulsive behavior and disrupts a person’s critical thinking ability.

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Families put off treatment and find excuses for why it is not needed. They look for short term solutions at first, not recognizing recovery needs time. The story of alcoholism begins with both the person and their whole family believing that alcoholism could not affect them. The family member is in denial of their heavy drinking, and the entire family joins them in the dissent, thinking their loved one could not be a problem drinker. Their denial becomes the barrier to addressing the needs for recovery. Rationalizations protect them from feeling the shame and fear experienced in acceptance of alcoholism in their family.

Alcohol use disorder can include periods of being drunk (alcohol intoxication) and symptoms of withdrawal. Addiction is treatable and it is never too early or too late to ask for help. There are Indiana opioid treatment programs, inpatient or outpatient alcohol rehab, and many other options throughout Indiana, like several IU Health locations, including Indianapolis, Bloomington and Muncie. Ask the mother who lost her 19-year-old son — the laughing family prankster who earned a full-ride college scholarship as a solid student and star second baseman — to drugs.

Alcoholism: A disease of speculation

Brain scans show the impact of chronic alcohol use, confirming cell damage in the brains of alcoholics. Excessive drinking can damage the brain’s frontal lobe, which is responsible for executive function and decision-making. We know that alcoholism is the result of many environmental and hereditary factors. Plus, alcoholism medications help with recovery but don’t cure it. Societal factors include level of economic development, culture, social norms, availability of alcohol, and implementation and enforcement of alcohol policies.

Treatment can be outpatient and/or inpatient and be provided by specialty programs, therapists, and health care providers. E. Morton Jellinek, a pioneer in the study of alcohol abuse and dependence, suggested “progressive phases of alcoholism” in 1950, which led to the Jellinek curve, which is still widely used. Alcoholism wasn’t always seen as a disease needing treatment, and the American Medical Association’s work was on the forefront of changing how the court system viewed https://www.excel-medical.com/5-tips-to-consider-when-choosing-a-sober-living-house/ and treated those who cannot control their alcohol consumption. If we look at a comparison of the reaction to other life-threatening diseases, we do not find personal attacks on the person or look to their families for blame. No-fault is assigned to those diagnosed with Cancer, Multiple Sclerosis, Lyme, and other conditions, nor are their families automatically seen as dysfunctional. People rally support with praise of heroism as the affected person battles the disease.

Why Is Alcoholism Considered a Chronic Disease?

But, the cadavers only represented 5 percent of the American population. According to the study, 25 percent of the population has the "alcoholism gene marker" or genetic predisposition. It was then found that only 1/5 of the 25 percent that have the marker would develop alcoholic drinking that fit the parameters of those involved in the Blum-Noble study. Therefore, the results failed to demonstrate any increased vulnerability to alcoholism. In later articles, it was revealed that the genetic marker appears to have little to do with becoming alcoholic.