Is There An Alcohol Addiction Gene?

The National Institute on Drug Abuse reported on a recent study of over 1 million people to discover if specific genes associated with alcohol or substance use disorders (SUDs) are inherited. Researchers found family members pass down multiple genes that are risk factors for developing an addiction.

Researchers identified numerous genes that are candidates for being an inheritable addiction gene. They prioritized gene candidates with labels ADH1B, CHNR5, GCKR, and DRD2. Regarding alcohol addiction, these genes fall into one of the following categories:

  • The genes involved in how the central nervous system responds to alcohol.
  • The genes involved in how the body metabolizes alcohol.

Researchers further suggested that 40% to 60% of people with alcohol use disorder (AUD) have genes that increase their risk of developing an addiction.

Still, having the addiction gene does not guarantee that you will develop an AUD. It means you have a risk factor that, when paired with other risk factors, makes it more likely you will have alcohol-related issues.

Can A Person Be Born With Alcohol Use Disorder?

Newborn babies can be born addicted to alcohol if their mother consumes alcohol during pregnancy.

Babies can be born with a disorder, fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS), and can experience withdrawal from alcohol when they leave the womb. Being born addicted to alcohol is a risk factor that someone will later develop an AUD.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that one out of every 1,000 babies will have FAS.

In addition, the disorder does not always go away when the baby detoxes from alcohol and can continue into childhood. The CDC reports FAS affects at least six out of every 1,000 school-aged kids. Children with FAS face many different physical and mental health disorders throughout their lifetime.

Tests Used To Diagnose Alcoholism

Doctors and addiction treatment professionals utilize multiple testing instruments to garner an accurate diagnosis of your symptoms. Because there are no specific alcoholism genetic tests, blood tests, or brain imaging scans to guarantee an AUD, they must take advantage of other testing methods. There are several standard diagnostic tests for AUD.

Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT)

The AUDIT consists of ten multiple-choice questions to assess your behaviors regarding alcohol consumption. It assesses three areas, including alcohol intake, potential for dependence, and whether you have experienced harm related to alcohol consumption. Answering yes to eight out of ten of the questions indicates an AUD.

A shorter version of AUDIT is the AUDIT-C, which consists of only three questions, each worth up to four points. The more points you have, the higher the probability of having an alcohol use disorder.

Cut Down Annoyed Guilty Eye-Opener (CAGE)

The C.A.G.E. test is a popular test for alcoholism, but only when used alongside other tests. C.A.G.E. stands for:

  • Cut down
  • Annoyed
  • Guilty
  • Eye-opener

Specific C.A.G.E. questions include:

  1. Have you ever felt like you need to cut down on your drinking?
  2. Have you felt annoyed when someone says you have an alcohol problem?
  3. Have you felt guilty about your substance use?
  4. Have you ever drunk alcohol first thing in the morning to ease anxiety, stop shaking, or get your day going? (eye-opener)

The results of these tests are one part of the diagnosis process. Licensed physicians, psychiatrists, and therapists compare and match the test results with professional guidelines for making an accurate diagnosis and treatment plan.

Diagnostic And Statistical Manual For Mental Disorders, 5th Edition (DSM-5) Criteria

The American Psychiatric Association developed eleven criteria to determine if someone has an alcohol use disorder, published in the DSM-5 and used by most treatment professionals. The criteria include:

  • Drinking more than intended and for longer periods
  • Wanting to quit drinking but being unable to despite efforts
  • Spending a lot of time seeking, drinking, or recovering from alcohol use
  • Craving or having intense urges to drink
  • Being unable to fulfill home, school, work, or social responsibilities
  • Continuing to drink even though it causes rifts in relationships
  • Continuing to drink, knowing it can worsen physical or mental health conditions
  • Giving up activities with family and friends to spend more time drinking
  • Continuing to drink even though it puts you in dangerous situations
  • Needing to drink more to achieve the same effects
  • Experiencing withdrawal symptoms when going without alcohol

The severity of your addiction is determined by how many criteria you have met, with two or three signifying a mild addiction and six or more signifying a severe SUD.

Take our free alcohol assessment to determine if you may have a drinking problem.

What Are The Chances Of Inheriting AUD From Your Parents?

The National Institute on Drug Abuse reports that up to 50% of the reason you may develop an addiction depends on genetics. You can only inherit the gene associated with alcoholism from your parents, however. Having the gene does not guarantee you will develop an AUD.

Additional factors can influence what role alcohol will play in your life. Epigenetics, the combination of genes and environment, plays a more significant role in alcohol use disorders.

Environment Vs. DNA

The environment in which you live and work strongly influences your drinking habits. For example, living with parents who drink alcohol in front of you, encouraging you to drink it with them, or pressuring you to drink increases your chances of having alcohol-related issues.

Additional environmental factors that increase the odds of you developing an AUD include:

  • Sibling alcohol use
  • Parental intervention of alcohol misuse
  • Peer alcohol use
  • Spouse or partner’s alcohol use
  • Coworker or peer pressure
  • Work-related stressors

Living in an unhealthy environment can negatively impact your decisions regarding how much or how little to drink. If you are already at risk of AUD due to genetics, it is critical to determine what role your environment may play in your drinking habits.

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Am I At Risk Of Becoming Addicted To Alcohol?

Specific risk factors are identifiable in alcohol use disorders. The following are the most common factors among those with a diagnosable AUD:

  • Lacking healthy parental supervision and bonding
  • Experiencing a traumatic event in childhood
  • Having a mental health disorder
  • Having poor self-control or impulsiveness
  • Trying alcohol for the first time as a child or teen
  • Experiencing violence at home
  • Being neglected by family
  • Having unhealthy peer relationships or few healthy friendships

The number of risk factors you have predicts how likely you are to develop an AUD. If you identify with any factors, you can take steps to change them so that they no longer put you at risk for an AUD.

What Are The Protective Factors For AUD?

You can turn risk factors into protective factors, which are healthy adjustments that counteract negative influences. These protective factors benefit a person physically, emotionally, academically, professionally, and socially. There are several protective factors for AUD:

  • Increase the number of positive friendships in your life
  • Seek counseling from a mental health or addiction treatment professional
  • Engage in mindfulness-based activities
  • Move to a healthy living environment
  • Continue your education
  • Make positive connections at work, school, and in the community
  • Seek positive role models as mentors

The more protective factors you can implement, the better. They will help outweigh the risk factors so you can experience a better life.

Is Alcohol Tolerance Genetic?

Alcohol tolerance refers to the amount of alcohol you must drink to achieve desired effects. When you first start drinking alcohol, you may feel happy, confident, friendly, and euphoric after a few drinks. As you increase the number of times you drink, you will also need to increase the amount of alcohol you drink. A few drinks no longer make you happy or friendly, but six drinks may. In this case, your tolerance increases from three to six drinks.

Specific genes are associated with how your body metabolizes alcohol, possibly affecting tolerance, which may be inherited. Gene variants such as alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) and aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) are two examples. However, several other factors also impact tolerance, including:

  • Metabolism
  • Ethnicity
  • Environment in which you drink
  • Gender

  • Weight
  • Medications you take
  • Amount of food in your stomach
  • Type of alcohol

Developing alcohol tolerance can be a sign of an alcohol use disorder. If you notice your tolerance increasing, reach out for an evaluation to determine whether or not you have symptoms of an AUD.

Seek Help For An Alcohol Use Disorder

If you believe you are predisposed to the alcoholism gene, it’s important to learn more about the risk factors and preventative measures you can take to lower your risk for alcohol addiction. It may also be beneficial to examine your current drinking habits; take our free alcohol assessment today to understand how your current alcohol use can impact your health and well-being.

If you are struggling with chronic alcohol misuse or addiction, inpatient and outpatient addiction treatment programs are available to provide you with the support and education needed to overcome your addiction. Contact a treatment provider today to learn more about these rehab options.