Most people are already aware that addictions – to substance abuse, gaming, or even other activities like dangerous sports – are caused not only by personal traits, life history, or social interactions, but also by biological reasons. 

People inclined to addictions are not obligatory addicts by default, they have what is called predisposition – personal, social, or biological (usually all at once). People with predisposition are more likely to develop addictions than people without predisposition; for example, two people can drink the same amount of alcohol in the same manner and with same frequency, but they will develop a different reaction to it if their predisposition differs. 

Scientists believe that biological and even personal predispositions are partially inherited, and this makes complete sense. Biological predisposition can be inherited, because the brain gets triggered in a certain way by certain factors, and the sets of these factors are different for different people, and the power of these triggers is different for different people. However, families with a history of addictions are more likely to have offsprings with predisposition. 

Psychological predisposition can also be inherited – or rather, learned from such a young age that it is almost inherited – because behavioral patterns, reactions to events, and even family traditions reflect, in a certain way, the behavior that can be expected in the offsprings. If alcohol abuse is a family celebration tradition, many family members can be forced to consume more alcohol then they would like to, and will be more likely to develop an addiction. 

Compulsive Gambling

Gambling at offline or online casinos from time to time, tracking new games releases, and looking for the best online casino bonuses in hopes of winning more is not yet a gambling addiction. These are normal and legal entertainments that many people enjoy from time to time. 

However, when gamblers spend all their time and all their money on real money bets, be it offline casinos, online casinos, sports bets, races, lotteries, bingo, or whatever else; when gamblers’ social and family relations start to deteriorate and they lose jobs; then they suffer sleep deprivation, aggression, depression, and anxiety, and their physical and mental health deteriorates – these are the signs of severe gambling addiction. 

Whatever are the symptoms, from slight to severe, and whatever are the consequences, gambling addiction is caused pretty much by biological predisposition (probably inherited) and social factors to the same extent as other addictions are. 

Gamblers, as well as other addicts, are simply unable to control their harmful behavioral patterns caused by the source of addiction, even if they are aware of the harmful effects. The hard part connected to family history is that, unless there were specific family stories or documents about a well-known gambler in the family (regardless of whether the gambler was successful or not), it is quite hard to take notice of gambling addictions in the ancestors. 

Most gamblers tend to conceal their addiction (and used to do so in the past, too); unhealthy family behavior patterns also propagated understatements of such a skeleton in the closet. Moreover, just a generation ago, uncontrolled gambling was not viewed as a mental condition or addiction, rather like a peculiarity of a person. 

The good news is that substance addiction was more noticeable and more viewed as a health issue, so, anyone noticing substance abusers in their family tree can suggest that gambling could also be the case. 

Alcohol & Substances Abuse 

Being aware of ancestors or distant relatives with predisposition to substance abuse is useful in two ways – firstly, the person researching the family history and family tree can take a decision to handle substances with caution, and secondly, it is easier to track potential health issues caused by such misuse. Knowing family health issue patterns, it is easier to avoid, prevent, or mitigate similar health issues in the current generations.

Mental Health 

Certain psychological disorders (like phobias, manias, predispositions to certain behavioral patterns, etc.) can be partially biologically inherited, and partially learned. Dealing with mental conditions or diagnoses, it is extremely useful to try and research at least the closest family connections, to find out the potential roots of the condition (if any), track down associated physical conditions and general health conditions, analyze what treatments were applied and whether they were efficient. Obviously, today mental health issues are treated in a different way than even a generation before, but awareness of genetic inheritance may help a lot, at least in preventing the same problems in children. 

Final Thoughts 

Besides giving more food for thought about the origins and inherited physical health, learning own family history can help uncover family dynamics in terms of addictions, mental health, and inherited or learned patterns. Knowing family health trends, one can start making better health choices, and provide a better future for younger generations.