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Childhood Trauma and Addiction

Erin Snow

Research tells us that we can’t blame addiction entirely on genetic susceptibility. Environmental factors also play a significant role. But how big a role is this, and how can we measure it? One way is to study the incidence of addiction among adopted children and twins (especially identical twins who were separated at birth and raised by different sets of parents). In this way, the relative influence of genetic risk factors versus environmental risk factors can be measured.

Adoption studies typically ask: What happens to the biological children of addicts if they’re adopted into a family where neither parent is addicted? Researchers have consistently found that people with biological but not adoptive parents who were addicts are more likely to develop an addiction. So score a point for genetics. That said, being more likely to develop an addiction doesn’t mean that addiction is an absolute certainty. In fact, lots of people in these studies did not become addicted. Plus, there are plenty of biological children of non-addicts who become addicts. So now we can score a few points for nurture.

Twin studies are even more enlightening. First of all, there are two types of twins: dizygotic (fraternal) twins, who have half their genes in common, and monozygotic (identical) twins, who carry exactly the same genes. Research consistently shows that siblings in both twin types show a common risk of addiction. If one twin is addicted, there is an increased likelihood that the other is also addicted. Predictably, the correlation is higher for identical twins than it is for fraternal twins. However, the numbers do not exactly match up, and there are plenty of instances where one twin is alcoholic and the other is not. And this is true regardless of whether they are fraternal or identical, and regardless of whether they were raised together or separately. So, it’s clear that genetic predisposition toward addiction is not an automatic life sentence; environment also plays a part.

Comparable studies have been conducted for cocaine, nicotine, and opiates with remarkably similar results, leading scientists to conclude that the overall risk for addiction is approximately half genetic and half environmental. It also appears that nature can be overrun by nurture. For instance, abused children are incredibly at risk for addiction (and other adult-life psychological issues) regardless of genetic influences. And the more times a child is traumatized, the greater the likelihood of addiction and other issues later in life.

One well-known study tells us that survivors of chronic childhood trauma (defined as four or more significant trauma experiences prior to age 18) are:

  • 8 times as likely to smoke cigarettes.
  • 9 times as likely to become obese.
  • 4 times as likely to experience ongoing anxiety.
  • 6 times as likely to be depressed.
  • 6 times as likely to qualify as promiscuous.
  • 2 times as likely to become alcoholic.
  • 1 times as likely to become an intravenous drug user.

Thus, there is an undeniable link between early-life trauma and adult-life symptoms and disorders, especially addiction.

Another relatively common environmental risk factor is early exposure to an addictive substance or behavior. Numerous studies have found that the lower the age of first use, the higher the likelihood of later-life addiction. Sometimes, the age of first use and familial instability (including a family history of mental illness and/or addiction) are directly related, as addictive substances and behaviors (like porn) may be readily available within the home in such families. In such cases, the other environmental risk factors (abuse, neglect, inconsistent parenting, etc.) may be the overarching factor in the development of addiction. Nevertheless, the link between age of first exposure and later life addiction is undeniable.

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