There is no single cause of alcoholism, but scientists are getting closer to an answer. Mary Jean Standley, a clinical lab scientist at Benelis Healthcare, places blood into a therapeutic blood and drug analyzer. Blood from patients in the detox unit is monitored carefully to determine the extent of physical deterioration . Nearly 2,000 years later, doctors are discovering that's true.
Some people are more genetically prone to alcoholism than others.
In Denmark, scientists found that the sons of alcoholics were about four times more likely to be alcoholic than sons of non-alcoholics. Robert Anthenelli and Marc Schuckit in the American Society of Addiction Medicine magazine. Although no specific gene has been identified as being responsible, researchers have found differences in the levels of a couple of key chemicals in the brain. A double high One is dopamine, a substance that creates natural highs as part of the brain's reward circuit. Dopamine's primary function is to stimulate people to do the things that are good for their survival.