Studies About Alcoholism Yields Common Results
Aside from the fact that there are millions of alcoholics all over the world, a lot of people are still ignorant about alcoholism. Since knowledge and awareness of this societal problem is a must, it is imperative that people should be educated about alcoholism. Based on a study undertaken by the University of California, more than 76 million people suffer indirectly or directly from the effects of alcoholism.
Numerous studies have been made discussing this subject but scientists admit that a lot still remain unknown. Presently, there are two major causes of alcoholism that were identified by researchers and these are genetics and environment. Some sectors allege that genetics or family history may influence a person to become alcoholic. In the same study about alcoholism conducted by the University of California, it was discovered that an approximate 20-25% of the brothers and sons of alcoholics also become alcoholics. According to the Collaborative Study of the Genetics of Alcoholism (COGA), there is a direct relationship between chromosomes and the tendency of a person to become alcoholic dependent. Aside from studying human genes, some studies also look at other genetic markers like proteins and DNA sequences to learn more about alcoholism. Despite this fact, it is not correct to assume that a son whose father is an alcoholic would immediately evolve into an alcoholic himself. This is because the choice to drink or not to drink still remains with him. Before making an assumption, it would still be best to observe the environment that the son is exposed to. Some researchers contended that living with an alcoholic parent or member of the family increases the risk of making the other member's alcohol dependent.
Scientists hypothesize that alcoholism is caused by heredity and environment or a combination of both. Most researchers estimated that the contribution to alcoholism of specific gene alleles is the same as that contributed by the environment. Some studies, however, show that genetics has much to do about alcoholism and this factor, in fact, is a consistent risk factor in the development of alcoholism as revealed in many studies. For the purpose of establishing this fact, studies using twins and adoptees as subjects were conducted. From these, it was discovered that some people might be genetically vulnerable to alcoholism than others.
The other minor factors that might also play a factor in the development of alcoholism are peer pressure, culture, existing psychiatric conditions, societal norms on the availability of alcohol and occupation. A person's social network comprised of friends, clubs or spouses may influence alcoholism. Informal policies as well as local practices in a community also influence the drinking habits of its members. If the community that a person belongs to do not tolerate heavy drinking then, there is a low risk that its members will become alcohol dependent. A person's psychiatric condition also has something to do about alcoholism. People with attention deficit disorder or antisocial disorder are also more likely to become alcoholics. Finally, a person's source of income may also affect his drinking habit in the sense that it dictates at what time and for how long he can have access to alcoholic drinks.
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