Essay on Addiction: Genetic and Environmental Influences (Psychology)

This essay delves into the multifaceted nature of addiction, defining it as an inability to resist harmful behaviors, often despite a desire to stop. It explores both genetic and environmental factors that influence addiction, particularly focusing on alcohol and sugary food dependencies. The essay highlights the role of genetics, with a 50% increased chance of alcoholism if inherited, and how environmental factors, such as easy access to alcohol and Westernized diets, contribute to addiction patterns. It discusses symptoms like cravings, withdrawal, and the role of dopamine in sugary food addiction. The essay also touches upon treatment options, such as rehabilitation and counseling, while acknowledging the challenges individuals face in seeking help due to feelings of failure and low self-esteem. The essay references key studies and provides a comprehensive overview of the biological, psychological, and environmental aspects of addiction.

Running head: ADDICTION
Addiction
Student’s Name
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Addiction
Addiction can be defined as the inability to resist an act or a behavior even when it is
harmful (Everitt and Robbins, 2016). In most cases of addiction, the person in question would
like to stop the behavior in question but they are unable to. One of the explanations put across to
explain addiction is impulse control. Apart from impulse control, there are other factors that
contribute to addiction. These factors include genetic and environmental factors. This paper is
going to discuss these factors (genetic and environmental) and how they influence addiction to
alcohol and sugary foods.
Addiction to Alcohol
Extensive evidence suggests that genetics play a great role in predisposing an individual
to alcoholism. The chance of being addicted to alcohol is 50 percent more in individuals who
inherit the trait from their parents. The deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) is the substance that is
responsible for coding for traits of individuals. Among individuals who abuse alcohol, some
genetic mutations may occur (Sinclair, Lochner and Stein, 2016). These may lead to passing the
trait of alcoholism to the offspring. Therefore, a person who is born to parents who abuse alcohol
may be more predisposed to addiction than one who is born to parents that do not abuse alcohol.
Environmental factors also play a role in shaping the alcohol addiction patterns. The
contemporary environment favors access to alcohol. Due to this ubiquitous nature, many people
are likely to use the substance which leads to addiction in the long run. Symptoms of alcohol
addiction include excessive cravings for it when one has stayed for some time without
consuming it. It also includes withdrawal symptoms such as shaking. Another symptom is the
dependence in alcohol consumption for one to function optimally. The common treatment for

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alcohol is undergoing rehabilitation where one is guided in unlearning the behavior of
alcoholism. Many people with this addiction have difficulty accepting their situation and seeking
treatment. This is because they often view themselves as failures.
Addiction to Sugary Foods
Consuming sugary foods stimulates the reward system of the brain to release dopamine
(Koob and Volkow, 2016). Dopamine is the neurotransmitter that is associated with feeling
good. This release prompts one to consume even more in future. The process leads to addiction.
There are some genetic factors that may make one addicted to consuming foods in excessive
quantities. This mainly applies to sweet foods due to the reward system explained above.
Scientists have associated a gene called ob that codes for fat cells. When a person inherits the
gene from the parents, they are likely to have the trait explained above.
Sweetened foods have saturated the modern environment. This has mainly been brought
about by the westernization of the diet. One is more likely to consume sweetened foods or
beverages than they are likely to consume the traditional foods (Potenza, 2015). Common
symptoms include binge eating and obesity. Common treatment includes counseling to help the
client unlearn the behavior. Most people with this addiction have a difficulty accepting this
condition and seeking treatment due to low self-esteem. These persons are usually
overweight/obese and have a poor self-image. The poor self-image causes the low self-esteem.

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References
Everitt, B. J., & Robbins, T. W. (2016). Drug addiction: updating actions to habits to
compulsions ten years on. Annual review of psychology, 67, 23-50.
Koob, G. F., & Volkow, N. D. (2016). Neurobiology of addiction: a neurocircuitry analysis. The
Lancet Psychiatry, 3(8), 760-773.
Potenza, M. (2015). Perspective: behavioral addictions matter. Routledge.
Sinclair, H., Lochner, C., & Stein, D. J. (2016). Behavioral addiction: A useful construct?
Routledge.