Everyone of us, regardless of gender or race, have a biologically set "trigger level" for addiction. A line in the sand, that if crossed, will send us into addiction. Why then can some people go through life seemingly as "normal" drinkers, and some of us drink just a few times and we are hooked?
First, let it sink in that EVERYONE has the potential of becoming an alcoholic...
While there may be several contributing factors, there are two that I believe are the strongest indicators of a persons "likelihood" for addiction. 1. genetics and 2. quantity and frequency of use.
First, with genetics our "trigger levels" are set. We can't change them, they just are what they are. If there is a family history of addiction, particularly a parent, the likelihood of addiction is increased 4 times. In this case, one would have a lower "trigger level", meaning it would take less abuse to send that person into addiction. If there is no family history of addiction, a person would have a higher "trigger level", meaning it could take a lot of abuse before one became addicted.
Second, quantity and frequency. By that I mean how much and how often one consumes alcohol. Consider two examples. Person A has a glass of wine with their dinner most nights but usually does not drink otherwise. Person B drinks several drinks, several times a week and may drink heavily on the weekend. Person A may very well go their entire life following this same pattern and never have a problem. Person B will likely find that the longer he/she continues their pattern that either the frequency or the quantity consumed will increase over time pushing them closer to, or even over their "trigger level" for addiction.
Only by taking an honest look at ourselves can we truly know our risk for addiction, If we know our family history and know our drinking patterns, we can predict with some accuracy our risk level for addiction.
So what is the answer? Who can become and alcoholic? Under the right circumstances, and using poor judgement....anyone can become an alcoholic.
That is very true! I have 2 family members that are alcoholics. I drink on occasion and limit myself as I know I am predisposed to addiction due to family genetics and social behavior.
ReplyDeleteI love how you pointed out a great example in your post and laid it out in layman's terms so that everyone can understand that anyone at any time can become an alcoholic.