Alcoholism

[Tiberius]

I'm still baffled at how you can be a higher power than yourself. That's like saying 1 > 1. It makes no sense.

[Minimalist]

I suspect that it is more learned behavior rather than "genetic" ( nurture rather than nature.)

[Tiberius]

You always bite on the easy ones. I leave those for the lampreys, and surely they don't let lampreys into Cambridge. Unless attached to sharks...

I bit that one because I saw the appalling use of logic as I skimmed your post. I don't actually bother reading your posts anymore Pippy; I know they are always full of random crap and I can't be arsed to go through and debunk it unless it affects me personally or I've done my own research in it.

I don't know much about alcoholism; it hasn't affected anyone in my immediate family. I don't know if it's a disease or if it's genetic. I do know a fallacy when I spot one though, hence my comment. I'm afraid you won't goad me into making a longer response by mentioning my employment at Cambridge either; there are plenty of people here who have personal stories surrounding alcoholism and who seem to have actually done some research...you go along and play with them. I'll go play with distributed networked mobile phones.

[Pippy]

you had me up until the cell phones. You got into Cambridege with something to do with cell phones? Or cellophane?

I just had to take the chance to call you a lamprey, oh how I have waited.
I honestly congratulate you on all your successes, and am sorry that you can't bring yourself to read what I write on your site. I will try to be more concise in the future.

Gallatasaray,
-Pip

[Tiberius]

I'm on a 10 week research programme, trying to track the growth of pandemics (y'know, those illnesses than can kill entire civilisations) by using mobile phones to see how people move and spread viruses.

[fr0d0]

My friends son did his doctorate thesis on Alcohol addiction. Another friends son is at the same uni teaching on smoking addiction. A tendency toward addictive behaviours may well be genetic, or it may well have some 'hereditary' proponent as Eilonnwy says... those things tend to follow, unfairly sometimes due to circumstances (it's be difficult for things to be any other way).

"Twin studies have established that there are substantial genetic influences on alcoholism (0.5-0.6) in both men and women" - http://www.springerlink.com/content/9171gj889742r5wl/

I don't know how you conclude that addiction definitely isn't genetic

[Eilonnwy]

I don't think it's genetic in the way, say, Huntington's Disease is genetic. Certain addictive behaviors are addictive, but alcoholism isn't a disease. So I think's hereditary not with a specific genetic agent. Granted I could be wrong, but hey, if science finds it's definitely a biological component, I'll change my mind.

Oh, and I saw this on Twitter: http://richarddawkins.net/articles/47902...t-in-rehab

[paintpooper]

My mother claims that people can have a genetic disposition to alcoholism

I agree in a way to that statement. Say you have history of anxiety, social issues, and depression some which can come from genetics. It would give you a higher chance of becoming an alcoholic, but no specific disorder or genetic trait will make you an alcoholic. It's always a choice.

[Caecilian]

It may or may not be the case that some people have a genetic predisposition to engage in addictive behaviours.

Frankly, I don't see that this matters a great deal.

Whether or not someone becomes an addict is the result of their own choices. Whether or not an addict ceases to be an addict is also the result of their choices.

This is true regardless of whether or not they had a genetic predisposition to addiction. If they have such a predisposition, then their substance use might get them addicted quicker. They might also find it more difficult to withdraw, and more easily slip into relapse. But none of this changes the fact that at every point they are making decisions, for which they alone are responsible.

[fr0d0]

So people who are pre-disposed to run people over should be perfectly safe to drive cars because, after all, they make the choice to run someone over or not right?

Of course it matters. If there's an inbuilt motivator than the person has to avoid the problem. It's not the same for someone without the predisposition.