Is Alcoholism Genetic?

I’ve been thinking lately about whether alcoholism is really inherited or not. I found this article very interesting. Wouldn’t it be cool if scientists could find the exact gene that causes alcoholism and then find a cure for this awful disease?

(Ivanhoe Newswire) — A mutation found in a mouse gene may provide new insights into the genetic roots of alcoholism in humans.

The mutation, which researchers at the Ernest Gallo Clinic and Research Center and the University of California, San Francisco, have named Lightweight, is in the mouse version of a gene called unc-79. Previous studies in worms and flies have shown that unc-79 is associated with altered sensitivity to a variety of anesthetics, including alcohol. The mutant mice are more sensitive to alcohol than their normal, wild-type littermates, and voluntarily consume more alcohol than normal mice when offered the choice between alcohol and water. Lead author Dr. David Speca was quoted as saying that the name Lightweight refers to the observation that when unc-79 mutant mice were injected with high doses of alcohol “they were knocked out for far longer than normal mice.”

The function of unc-79 is not well understood, said Speca, but he noted that experiments by other researchers suggest it may interact with a particular neuron channel named NALCN to influence neuronal responses to alcohol. A neuron channel is a complex of proteins essential to nerve cell function.

Although this study did not demonstrate an interaction with this channel in Lightweight mice, Speca said that follow-up experiments in the roundworm Caenorhabditis elegans showed that the NALCN channel influences responses to alcohol, “suggesting that this response may be conserved from worms to mice to humans.”

Studies of human twins have suggested that there is a genetic component to alcoholism, but, according to Speca, it is likely that there are multiple genes that contribute to the disease, each with its own effect, making it difficult to identify any single cause. The question now, he said, is whether unc-79 and the NALCN neuron channel turn out to be associated with altered responses to alcohol in humans.

“Nobody has ever studied these genes in humans before,” noted Speca. “There’s a chance that it’s part of a new and relatively unexplored biochemical pathway that may tell us something about human susceptibility to alcoholism.”

SOURCE: PLoS Genetics, August 19, 2010.

Detaching with Love

This is my first post in a few weeks. My son and I moved to a different apartment complex at the end of August and then I had a bad cold for several days. The reason we moved was because of a misdemeanor theft of property my son had on his record from 8 years ago. He and some friends took a street name sign and got caught. The apt management wouldn’t let me renew my lease if he was going to live there. So instead of putting him on the street, I chose to move. Good codependent that I am, I disrupted my life once again for my alcoholic son. But the new apartment is a blessing and I thank God for leading me here. I have more room for less money and a huge balcony that I can grill on and I enjoy the big dogwood tree that shades it. The neighbors are very friendly, it’s close to everything, easier to access and not as many speed bumps (yeah!).

This week I have been trying to “detach with love” from my son’s disease. He up and quit his job at Kmart because they cut his schedule down to 2 days a week. At least that’s the story I got. He lasted over 4 months there (not a record, but close). They had been so good to him at first, even understanding that he was an alcoholic. He was getting alot of hours, but then he started going to work after having 2 or 3 drinks. I’m sure his performance suffered because, from what I observe, alcohol makes him dumb. My theory is that they were trying to get him to quit by cutting his hours. So now we are back to square one. But because he had a good check deposited on Monday, he has been drinking every day. Not getting very drunk, but drinking enough that I didn’t want to be around him.

So this week, except to tell him supper is ready, I have basically ignored him. I haven’t called during the day, left any notes, went through his room, or asked him any questions. I prayed the Serenity Prayer every day and asked God to help me stay out of the way and let Him work. In my mind I am coming to peace with whatever my son has to go through to get sober. I have to work on myself and be ready to go on with my life, no matter what happens with him. In return, I have not experienced those pesky stomach knots that are a symptom of worrying too much or the dread of finding him very sick or even dead. If I keep my mind set on the fact the God is in control of my son’s life, not me, then I can learn to detach with love from my son’s disease and live my life to the fullest.