Is Addiction Hereditary?

Generally, society harshly judges people who suffer from drug and alcohol addiction. We tend to assume these individuals have a character flaw or personality weakness. Addiction, however, is a very real and complex disease, just as heart disease is. Scientists now know that family history is a strong predictor of who is most at risk for becoming addicted.

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), addiction is a chronic, relapsing brain disease characterized by compulsive drug (or alcohol) seeking and use, despite harmful consequences. Addiction disrupts normal, healthy functioning of the brain. This disease process is the same regardless of the type of substance a person abuses. Like many other diseases, addictions are preventable and treatable, but left untreated, their damaging effects can last a lifetime.