Genetic Involvement A1

The classical approach to teasing out whether genes contribute to a complex behavioral trait is to examine whether the trait co-occurs in monozygotic (identical) twins. If for example, the trait occurs in 100% of identical twin pairs who have been reared apart (i.e., in different environments), then the trait is probably entirely genetic since identical twins share 100% of their DNA. These types of family studies, along with epidemiological investigations suggest that 40 to 60% of an individual's risk for addiction to alcohol and most illicit drugs is genetic. Similar estimates come from the study of addiction in rodents.

Occurs due to the genes of the molecular receptors being altered.

1. How exactly are the receptors being altered?
   

AskBig.com. 2006-2007 Institute For Genome Sciences & Policy. December 6, 2006 http://www.askbig.org/archives/a-z/addiction/

Alcoholism "What I know and what I want to know"

I currently know many things about alcoholism. My father, a rocket scientist, is in the process of being divorced from my mom. My dad, the alcoholic, has been able to show me how alcoholism affects people, and how it may worsen all things. My father, although smart, was stupid enough to drink, and to choose alcohol over his own family.

He showed many alcoholic traits, of which, many if not all alcoholics show. He would constantly drink, consuming more and more alcohol each time. My father even had DUI's, and was in jail a few times because of this. Whenever he was sober, his hands would shake, and when he was drunk, he would slur his speech, trip over things, become violent, both verbally and physically, and would usually embarrass our family in public. My father was known to ruin events. On Christmas Day, he would never come downstairs in the morning, no matter how much we tried to wake him up. You could always tell when he was drinking because he would walk into the garage where he'd keep his alcoholic beverages, and then drink.

Alcoholism is a disease. It wasn't just his fault, although he could have stopped it. His side of the family was known for drinking men. It was passed down through his heredity. It is too late for him. He shall now never change. He would never even play catch with me. He would only drink and watch TV. I will never fall to the clutches of alcohol. It slowly destroys you, and takes you over.

As you drink more, you will gaine tolerance to it, and then need to drink more. It is a truely sad thing to see. As you can see, I have had a bad, yet real and true view of what alcoholism is.

Although I know many things such as this, there are many things that I still wish to know. I wish to know how alcoholism is passed down through the family, and how you become addicted to it.

Alcoholism Research

This first section will contain both notes and source information for my research paper on the social issue of alcoholism.
Searched using http://www.ask.com
http://clc.hcpss.org/~cmo


Alcohol- A disease that includes alcohol craving and continued drinking despite repeated alcohol-related problems, such as losing a job or getting into trouble with the law. Symptoms include craving, impaired control, physical dependence, and increased tolerance.www.healthatoz.com/healthatoz/Atoz/dc/caz/suba/alco/glossary.jsp


continued excessive or compulsive use of alcoholic drinks; a chronic, progressive, potentially fatal, psychological and nutritional disorder associated with excessive and usu. compulsive drinking of ethanol and characterized by frequent intoxication leading to dependence on or addiction to the substance, impairment of the ability to work and socialize, destructive behaviors (as drunken driving), tissue damage (as cirrhosis of the liver), and severe withdrawal symptoms upon detoxificationwww.hsc.wvu.edu/som/cmed/alcohol/glossary.htm


A primary chronic disease influenced by genetic predisposition, psychosocial, environmental and cultural factors. The alcoholic who chooses to drink does so because of a complex interaction between these factors.http://www.google.com/url?sa=X&start=3&oi=define&q=http://www.med.uottawa.ca/homeless/tools/glossary_e.html&usg=__2HfYI60Xq6lgaiQYyt_iTrF9-3s=

(NEW POST) November 27th, 2006

Alcohol is a disease. The offspring of an alcoholic have a greater risk of becoming an alcoholic. It is difficult to stop an alcoholic problem because, over time, the victim gaines tolerance towards alcohol, and will drink more and more, just to get the drunken feeling.

-->Ex. During week one, the victim may drink 2 beers and become drunk. During week 5, the victim may drink 3 beers to become drunk. This process will continue until the problem gets out of hand. <--

Once the victim becomes an alcoholic, there is an addiction to the alcoholic substance. This addiction will cause the body to believe that it needs alcohol to function, and will eventually end up in the disfunction of a family, usually causing the family to conform to the usual family falling victim due to an alcoholic member. Usually, the spouse takes most of the pain, and, tries to make everything better; as if the alcoholic didn't have a problem. The children will also gain traits due to the alcoholic behavior of the alcoholic.

Past Knowledge learned from Health Classes