I don't know. I just found out that bulimia and anorexia have genetic codes (I've had both of those). No one in my house drank to excess. My parents have a drink once or twice a year. My older sister doesn't drink because she doesn't like the taste. My younger sister will drink socially but that about a drink and a half before she has to stop. All of my uncles on my Mom's side of the family are/were alcoholics. I wasn't exposed to their drinking much. I knew what happened only because I'd hear that Uncle Jimmy was in jail again or Uncle Ronnie smashed up his apartment. I never saw any of these things. I'm sure other factors contributed. It's common for bulimics/anorexics to have substance abuse issues. I would fit into that category. I'll be interested if they find a gene.

I believe that there is alcohol gene
I'm after my father -type of body,humor,personality and he was alcoholic...
My brother is non alcoholic and he take more after my mom-look,attitude...So I believe that I did take from my father the good and the bad...

I grew up in a house where there was very little alcohol use. Didn't meet my blood father till I was 24 years old. He was a terrible alcoholic.
Actually it is very interesting how parallel our lives were. Not only were we both drunks, but we both were making our livings driving trucks. So for me i do believe there is something in the genes.

Finally, a thread that isn't 6+ months old!!!

I'd say I'm predisposed due to genes, maybe, but I still chose the path. Definitely took the wrong fork in that road!

i believe that our livers do not metabolize alcohol the way a "temperate" drinkers liver does. So I guess that would mean that we could have genetic disposition to alcohol if it was in our "family" and who knows how far back the tree goes, we think we stop the maddness of alcoholism, there are friends I know that say they have no alcoholics in their family's but how do you really know unless you do a extensive family tree. mmmm ?

You have made me think about something. I believe alcoholism is genetic. I became an alcoholic befor my mother ever drank. She started drinking around the age of 50 I believe and she is a full blown alcoholic. She doesn't drink now ahe is hitting close to eighty, but she is definately an alcoholic just the same as me.

I can trace 3 generations of alcoholics on my Mother's side of the family. Both my brothers are/were alcohics. I go with the genetic route.

Both of my maternal grandparents were alcoholics, but my mother never allowed it in the house.

So if it is genetic, it skipped a generation in my family and it wasn't something "learned" while growing up with me. As far as I know, I'm the only one of the grandkids that is an alcoholic. Lucky me! WHOOHOO!! :)

I believe it is a genetic thing, although my father and brother are not alcoholic they can be heavy drinkers. I do believe there is a grandfather somewhere that could have been alcoholic, and I think I got the gene, but my lifestyle and peers were very much geared around alcohol. Most of my friends stopped, but I carried on.

Forgot to say good for you Dipso for taking the time to do the survey, it all goes toward helping people.

Not sure if it's genetic or not, my dad blamed my alcoholism on him.. He felt I inherited it from him.. But it was my choice to pick up the drink.....

My folks don't drink but there are alcoholics on both sides of their families. Immediate families.

My dad sure is, my uncle is a heavy drinker. On my mom's side, my granddad was also a heavy drinker.

My older brother, younger sister and I have all earned our seats in the rooms.... our dad did also, he just never sat in it before it was to late.

I believe that alcoholism tends to run in familys and therefore must have some genetic relationship. Add the environment of growing up in an alcoholic or co-dependent home and you have a very combustible situation. Sometimes it only takes one drink to set off an explosion.