Alcoholism Nature vs Nurture Argument
Alcoholism and the Nature vs. Nurture Argument
Does the environment that one grows up in contribute to alcoholism or is alcoholism determined by genetics? It wasn’t until 1991 that alcoholism was considered both a medical and psychiatric disease by the American Medical Association. Alcoholism is defined in the dictionary as a chronic disorder characterized by dependence on alcohol, repeated excessive use of alcoholic beverages, the development of withdrawal symptoms on reducing or ceasing intake, morbidity that may include cirrhosis of the liver, and decreased ability to function socially and vocationally. (dictionary.com). It is also defined as an addiction to the consumption of alcoholic liquor or the mental illness and compulsive behavior resulting from alcohol dependency. Today in America there are 12 million who have this life long disease. (Alcohol and Depression) Alcoholism is a treatable disease, but one of the most important factors when trying to successfully treat this disease and prevent relapse, is finding its root cause. This is where the nature vs. nurture debate merges with alcoholism. Researchers have two main theories as to why certain individuals become and alcoholic and others can continue to drink socially with no issues. The first belief is that a person’s environmental factors including upbringing and outside social influences caused the person to become an alcoholic. The second belief is a person’s genetic makeup and the way that their bodies physically metabolize alcohol contributes to the chances of them having a predisposition towards alcoholism. Researchers are on both sides of this argument. The following essay will address the different contributing factors on both the nature and nurture sides. On the nurture side, researchers believe that environmental factors including: family history, location, advertising, childhood trauma, and early exposure can lead to alcoholism. The Nature argument states that
Does the environment that one grows up in contribute to alcoholism or is alcoholism determined by genetics? It wasn’t until 1991 that alcoholism was considered both a medical and psychiatric disease by the American Medical Association. Alcoholism is defined in the dictionary as a chronic disorder characterized by dependence on alcohol, repeated excessive use of alcoholic beverages, the development of withdrawal symptoms on reducing or ceasing intake, morbidity that may include cirrhosis of the liver, and decreased ability to function socially and vocationally. (dictionary.com). It is also defined as an addiction to the consumption of alcoholic liquor or the mental illness and compulsive behavior resulting from alcohol dependency. Today in America there are 12 million who have this life long disease. (Alcohol and Depression) Alcoholism is a treatable disease, but one of the most important factors when trying to successfully treat this disease and prevent relapse, is finding its root cause. This is where the nature vs. nurture debate merges with alcoholism. Researchers have two main theories as to why certain individuals become and alcoholic and others can continue to drink socially with no issues. The first belief is that a person’s environmental factors including upbringing and outside social influences caused the person to become an alcoholic. The second belief is a person’s genetic makeup and the way that their bodies physically metabolize alcohol contributes to the chances of them having a predisposition towards alcoholism. Researchers are on both sides of this argument. The following essay will address the different contributing factors on both the nature and nurture sides. On the nurture side, researchers believe that environmental factors including: family history, location, advertising, childhood trauma, and early exposure can lead to alcoholism. The Nature argument states that
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