Yes, heredity and genetics play a party, but there are also a lot of other factors.

The scientific evidence is that alcoholism is a heritable condition. http://www.emedicine.com/med/topic98.htm Also, depression (which is highly heritable) is often 'self-medicated' through alcohol, so that can contribute to alcoholism.

no, but you could use it as an excuse. Face it, you choose to drink or choose not to drink. Nothing hereditary about that is there? When you were a baby, you only drank milk so it's not like you were addicted from day one is it?

I think the tendency to become alcoholic is there, but that environment also plays a part. I also (and this is my opinion alone) think that alcoholism is related to depression and other obsessive compulsive behaviours such as gambling and verbal/physical abuse. In my mother's extended family, these traits appear over and over again. Not everyone gets one, but most have personality trait problems like this. My grandfather was a gambler and an obsessive personality: of his children, the eldest is alcoholic and married an alcoholic and wifebeater/philanderer, the second is obsessive about King Arthur, and married an alcoholic wife beater, the third (my mother) was a gambler, the fourth married a wifebeater, the fifth is obsessive and has retreated into a world of his own to prevent an exwife tracking him down via his family, and the sixth has created a fictitious life for herself, at which she succeeds because she has obsessively researched the field in which she works. Most show signs of depression; the women are shrewish to a tee. I think more study needs to be done on the entire range of problems that appears within any family unit, to see why some people develop alcoholism, some gambling addictions, some depression.

It is hard to answer because as is the case with many issues, genes and environment often go hand in hand. That is to say, one might conclude that if you are an alcoholic, and your kid is an alcoholic, and your parents were alcoholics, that alcoholism is heredetary. This is not crazy thinking, however, it is not conclusive in that it ignores that you raised your kid as an alcoholic, your parents raised you as alcoholics, etc. Those who have alcoholism in their families are inherently those who are most exposed to alcohol. I believe that this issue has yet to be finally determined; for now, most experts would probably say that it is a function of your upbringing, your own personal traits, as well as genes. (I suppose they like to hedge their bets.)

No, I think the addictive personality is hereditary. Alcohol is just the "easiest" option because you already know it if you grew up around an alcoholic.

I think the part of alcoholism that is inherited is the part of watching your family avoid their problems by drinking. Drinking is a social behavior tha is taught to us. You learn it by seeing it. Do you think if you were born to a family of alcoholics and dumped on a desert island at age 3, you would still desire alcohol?

yes i think it definately could.

No. you can pick it up if you seen it growing up but I don't think its hereditary.

Alcoholism is not inherited, what is inherited in the chemical imbalance in the brain that gives a person the drive towards personality disorders (tendency to addictions) that then turns into a social problem known as alcoholism. Reason why alcoholics are treated by psychiatrist and with MH medicines among others like psychologists. Regards.

Maybe not hereditary in the gene/chromosone sense, but within a family culture, it could be learned behaviour. And not necessarily the actual drinkng or substance abuse. But a culture within a family of secrets, or not communicating honestly and openly can lead to a pattern of "numbing" feelings. Hence drinking or substance abuse.

There are many reasons why a person becomes an alcoholic (problem drinker). Inheritance is one of them. But it's not absolute. My mums uncle was a boozer, yet she never became a problem drinker. Neither did my brother. On the other hand though. my sister and I did. My sister still drinks I don't. So there is some commonality in families with problem drinkers. Aa has been stated just because it may be hereditary, it doesn't make it an excuse, to carry on drinking. Destroying ones own life and the lives of his family, work and friends. Cos problem drinking has a knock on effect for all who are associated with the drinker!

No, but sterility is. If your parents didn't have children neither will you.