What makes some children of alcoholics vulnerable, and some resilient? by alcoholicsguide I come from a family of four siblings, two of whom are alcoholic and two who are not. I have often wondered why this is the case? Why is it the case that certain children of alcoholic […]
We recently blogged on how alcoholics, and children of alcoholics, have difficulty with recognizing and differentiating external signs of emotions such as facial emotional expressions, now we will consider increasing evidence that alcoholics have difficulties with identifying and differentiating internal emotional states also. Both these areas of research point […]
There has been a lot of debate in the last thirty – forty years about genetic inheritance – with at least half of children of alcoholic families at risk for later alcoholism. What is less known is what exactly is inherited in our genes? What marks us out for later […]
Ample evidence exists for higher rates of substance abuse and dependence among maltreated individuals (1) so much so that alcoholism and addiction for many represent a developmental cascade. In clinical samples undergoing treatment for substance use disorders, between one third and two thirds evince child abuse and neglect histories (2-7). […]
The age of onset to begin regular drinking is an important predictor of age of first alcohol problem and subsequent alcohol dependence (1,2), as well as greater severity and persistence of problems with illicit drugs (3). For individuals that initiated drinking prior to age 14 years, the […]
The offspring of alcohol dependent individuals are at increased risk for alcohol and drug dependence in young adulthood over that seen in the general population (1-4). Twin and adoption studies reveal that the heritability for alcohol dependence is between 40–60% (5-8). The substantial heritability of alcohol dependence also […]
In the first in a series of blogs we discuss the topic of why does the solution to one’s alcoholism and addiction require a spiritual recovery. This is a much asked question within academic research, although the health benefits of meditation are well known and life styles incorporating […]
When I first came into recovery I constantly heard the refrain about “getting out of self” – in fact steps 10-12 help one do so. Step 12, by helping others in recovery and step 11 which encourages prayer and mediation. Can we get out of “self” by prayer […]
Following up from our previous blog on the abnormalities in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) in alcoholics, brain regions which govern emotional regulation, we came across another study which appears to show that adolescents at increased risk for later alcohol use disorders (AUDs) may also be showing an […]
Predicting relapse via extent of emotional dysregulation? by alcoholicsguide Even the most experienced counselors have difficultly spotting a recovering alcoholic in danger of relapse. Brain imaging scans might do a better job according to a study last year by researchers at Yale University. They suggested that alcoholics with […]
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