People who are genetically or environmentally predisposed to feel unhappy are prone to alcohol abuse. However, if the genes that regulate the processing of alcohol in the body predispose not to the pleasure of drinking, but to headaches, nausea and other unpleasant symptoms, such a person is at higher risk of becoming a drug addict. This was told socialbites.ca by a doctor of biological sciences, head of the genome analysis laboratory at the Institute of General Genetics. NI Vavilov RAS Svetlana Borinskaya.
“In some people, malfunctions in the genes that regulate the functioning of the brain make life quite bleak, so one needs to “turn off” the brain with something in order to forget. If at the same time the aldehyde dehydrogenase gene “forbids” drinking, then it is necessary to cover the head with drugs. In a study conducted in China, where the “prohibitive” gene variant is common, it was shown to be a risk factor for drug addiction. But this is not because it promotes substance use – most of its owners live in peace. But those parts of the genetic “ban” where it coincides with attitude problems, they solve these problems with drugs, not alcohol,” he explained.
However, it should not be assumed that a person is an alcoholic or drug addict simply because of genetic characteristics – this is influenced by many external factors, including upbringing.
“How life is built is decided by the person himself, not the genes. Genes can help achieve goals or complicate this process. From childhood, if you show children how to manage your emotions, how to react to problems that arise, support their attempts to do something in this direction on their own, then an adult will have less reason to be stressed and if the stress has passed. if it arose, it will be a choice of strategy on how to get out of it, ”added Borinskaya.
For more information on how genes that inhibit drinking is commonly found in Russians and the role that the environment plays in the development of alcoholism, see Dr. material “socialbites.ca”.