BellaOnline Forums Relationships Relationships Overcoming Sensitive Temperament (Need Advice)

Thank you! I have done extensive reading and research on the subject of alcoholism. Though it may seerm to be genetic, it is not. It is something that can be inherited through temperament. For example, a parent can be an alcoholic and the child is more inherit a similar temperament through upbringing that can make them more prone to it, but there is no genetic predisposition or coding for it. Temperament is a learned behavior based on the environmental conditioning of that person's upbringing, and other outside influences such as peer and cultural media influences as well. This temperament, even though understandably feels genetic, is defintely not. There are often families where even though the parents are alcoholics, their children are not, or not all their children become alcoholics. This also applies to other detrimental behaviors that ultimately have higher rates of medical consequences such as anorexia, homosexuality, cigarette smoking, and/or obesity. These are not diseases, they are unstable traits that lead to medical diseases or at least an increased chance. Our traits and behaviors do not have a genetically predisposed code of any sort. Our inherited temperament that may make us more prone to adapt or assimilate towards certain behaviors is something that is based on environmental cause and effect that makes us personalize those feelings to the deep level where it may feel like it is our identity or "who we are," but it is not unless we "buy into that" then we make it as such. Even though it is an unstable trait and not a disease, in a sense it is beneficial that alcoholism is labeled as a disease, because that removes the moral judgment and condemnation from the equation, and as a result more people can get help and be helped.