The Genetics of Addiction

There is often a very lively discussion on the Sober Living by the Sea Campus about the extent that genetics play in the development of addiction.

There is always a hope in the recovery community that "science may one day" provide a solution that will make the changing of addictive behavior much more effortless than it currently is. By identifying genetic components that predict addiction, there is hope that science is progressing to the point where people suffering from chemical dependencies can get a supportive medical regimen that will make it an "easier, softer" process.

There is a new relsease from the National Institute of Drug Abuse indicating that that more research is performed on the genetics of addiction, the more evidence there is that there are genetic components that predict individuals predisposition to addiction. The latest study results focus on nicotine.

Is this a reason to hope that the treatment of addiction might be poised for a breakthrough in the near future? We are all watching and waiting...

http://www.drugabuse.gov/newsroom/08/NR4-02a.html