Lacking the "alcohol gene"??

I use the term "alcohol gene" very lightly.

Anyways, I noticed that both side of my family are alcoholics, and suffer from alcoholism / alcohol addiction. (and drug addiction) but I noticed something odd about me and my mother.

It seems that both me and my mother lack the gene. I drink occasionally, but I honestly don't care too much about alcohol, I'm not hooked on it, and I can handle myself fine. I drank 6 beers once. just to get a feel of what it's like to get a bit drunk. and I wasn't hooked at all, I haven't drunken anything for almost 2 months now. my mother is the same, rarely drinks, when she does It's in moderation. I bought my first pack of beer, and decided that It will be a one off thing, I only drink 2 beers now and again.

Oddly enough, my dad isn't really a alcoholic either, but the weird thing is I noticed a trend, my mother has anxiety, and my dad has bipolar. I also happen to have anxiety and depression.

Is it that I simply lack the "alcoholism" gene, and it just somehow manifests itself into anxiety?

I've known "friends" who have been hooked on alcohol day one, who after there first drinks, get wasted all the time. meanwhile. I'm a happy drunk, who doesn't really think anything of alcohol. I can live without it, and I can control it. I don't think too much about drinking.

I don't think all the members in your family that like to drink alcohol can be considered alcoholic.

For example I enjoy drinking alcohol, mainly I enjoy the effect of it, the loosening up and pleasure, in some cases I even enjoy the taste (love the taste of beer), however I don't drink on a regular basis, usually just a couple of glasses once or twice a week during meals, or a bit more than that if I go out, which happens very rarely. Also, if I ever get wasted it's "once in a blue moon".

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Alcoholism runs in my dad's side of the family and he had to stop drinking to avoid losing his marriage before I was born. His doctor told him about ten years back that he was fortunate that he didn't drink because he's not well-suited to handle it, which was certainly his experience.

Due to that and religious reasons, I avoided alcohol for most of my life. When religion ceased to be a factor and I had a group of friends who liked to drink, I decided to give it a try. My resistance was much higher than I expected and it took me some time to get to figure out how much I needed to have in order to achieve the desired effect. It's been a few years and so far I find it enjoyable and socially helpful and not a problem elsewhere in life. Knowing the harm it can cause, I will continue to keep an eye on it but I don't appear to have the same vulnerability as others in my father's family.

I love alcohol, but I am not an alcoholic. In fact, I haven't had a drink in years xD. When I do drink though, it's mainly for the taste. My favorite types of drink are the coffee based ones like Kalua.
I also love rum. Parrot Bay coconut rum is so delicious. XD

As for beer, ehh. Not really my thing, but I do drink it now and then. The issue with beer is, I have to drink a hell of a lot just to get some sort of buzz. So beer to me is more like just a relaxation sort of drink, maybe while at a party / grill / beach thing.

I had quite a drinking problem when I was in college and maybe ten years after. Almost dying from a bleeding ulcer made me quit cold turkey. I started drinking at a very young age, about 8. My mom's side of the family was German and they loved their beer. So did I. Now, I don't miss it at all. I'll occasionally have one beer if I'm grilling or if we've order a pizza, but that's it.

I'm adopted so I have no idea if it ran in my birth family but I'm guessing it did.

For me, both my adopted parents and biological parents have strong alcoholism ties in both of their family bloodlines. Interestingly enough, however, my body literally can't handle the stuff, not even the wine at church. The closest form of any alcohol I can even ingest is in Tiramisu, and even then that is due to the rum being almost completely cooked out.

Drinking is rather prominent in my family, especially on my dad's side. He likes to get beer a few times throughout the week, and whenever we have family reunions my aunts love to crack open bottles of merlot. But no one in my family is an alcoholic, I've never seen any of them get completely wasted. The closest I've seen to someone having a problem with alcohol is my sister having a hangover one morning after partying.

My parents are fine with me drinking, when I was a teenager they've even offered some wine to me on occasion when we had fancy dinners, though I always turned it down. Every now and then I like to have some rum and coke, or a bottle of rumchata. I've tried merlot before and I liked it, but not if it's cheap stuff. I like to drink for the taste and to relax a little bit, I'm not interested in getting drunk.

DrunkBear said:

Is it that I simply lack the "alcoholism" gene, and it just somehow manifests itself into anxiety?

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Is it possible that anxiety runs in both sides of your family? Anxiety is a big reason why many people become addicted to alcohol. So maybe you and your mum have inherited the same genes, but you deal with your anxiety differently...?

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DrunkBear said:

I drink occasionally, but I honestly don't care too much about alcohol...

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Hang on a minute!!! Your username is DrunkBear! :laugh: Pants on fire! I suppose you'll be telling us you're not a bear either, huh?

tiny said:

Is it possible that anxiety runs in both sides of your family? Anxiety is a big reason why many people become addicted to alcohol. So maybe you and your mum have inherited the same genes, but you deal with your anxiety differently...?

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Hang on a minute!!! Your username is DrunkBear! :laugh: Pants on fire! I suppose you'll be telling us you're not a bear either, huh?

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I'm not too sure, maybe it has something to do with my ABDL"ism, I find that it does a good job, relaxing me and helping me with anxiety, but at the same time, drives it (ie hiding diapers that I used etc)

xD, I cannot confirm, nor deny, I'm a bear...

The joke behind the username is quite simple, occasionally if I don't eat as much I seem "drunk" or slow. I talk slower etc. people often joke around saying, are you drunk. xD.

I can neither confirm, or deny that I am indeed a bear.

Zendot said:

I don't think all the members in your family that like to drink alcohol can be considered alcoholic.

For example I enjoy drinking alcohol, mainly I enjoy the effect of it, the loosening up and pleasure, in some cases I even enjoy the taste (love the taste of beer), however I don't drink on a regular basis, usually just a couple of glasses once or twice a week during meals, or a bit more than that if I go out, which happens very rarely. Also, if I ever get wasted it's "once in a blue moon".

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Your definitely not hooked on alcohol when you use the name of a beer in your post, LOL

I used to have a few with the guys off duty, or at parades, but I have not had alcohol or caffeine in about 20 years , once I started taking medication for my sleep disorders I quit stimulants of all kind, it's all gone downhill from there with anti seizure meds, insulin and a whole gaggle of other medications including Fentanyl, Oxcycodone to mange my pain, I do drink Kalibre brewed by Guiness in Scotland once in a great while, it is considered alcohol free beer ( Samuel Adam's brews like 60 different beers a year some sound really good but none are alcohol free, it's really a shame) my Doctors have not said no drinking, but I did, I don't feel deprived or I am missing something, alcohol though popular in this country since the days of Washington's presidency and before some of our founding fathers made liquor on there plantations it is not an essential element of anything in our diet except for many people excess, The Kennedys , the mob , Canada all got rich during prohibition and man's lust for it became intense until prohibition was repealed, NASCAR got its start back then and all that happened by banning it was people wanted it more they got that back and they took away Marijuana and hemp way back in revolutionary times every citizen was required to grow hemp, Henry Ford made cars out of hemp that were alot better than anything else we have used but was forced to stop when it was outlawed, so we are getting pot back but what will become the enemy Next? So escaping the pull of alcohol and getting hammered when it's a "family tradition" is awesome but I think your right in your wondering Wether this might be where the anxiety and depression are coming from, like most things we have not proved the genetic under pinning of these yet, it is very possible they would disappear with drinking or they could morph into panic instead of anxiety.
And watch out its called hypoglycemia, and can progress to diabetes and guess who can not drink because it turns to sugar you guessed it diabetics .

Maybe your body is trying to trick you into becoming an alcoholic on some level, that suck's!!!

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Tetra said:

Your definitely not hooked on alcohol when you use the name of a beer in your post, LOL

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Lol, it's "blue moon", isn't it? At first at I was like "what name of a beer?", but I think I've seen or heard of a beer or an alcoholic drink with that name. I don't think we have it in my country.


I don't think drinking everyday or make a habit out of it is good or healthy, but I don't see anything wrong with getting a little bit tipsy every now and then really.

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My apologize about the blue moon , I did not even think about world availability when I cracked at it, in the US I see that commercial like ten times a day and just assumed it was all over, that's what I get for Assuming!

Yeah it's brewed with Valencia orange peel and coriander, that ought a show how many times I have seen the commercial, I have trouble remembering a phone number I have had for 11 years, but I can remember what a beer I have never had is brewed with, damn I hate my TV !

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Tetra said:

My apologize about the blue moon , I did not even think about world availability when I cracked at it, in the US I see that commercial like ten times a day and just assumed it was all over, that's what I get for Assuming!

Yeah it's brewed with Valencia orange peel and coriander, that ought a show how many times I have seen the commercial, I have trouble remembering a phone number I have had for 11 years, but I can remember what a beer I have never had is brewed with, damn I hate my TV !

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No need to apologize, I find it funny that I did that, even if unintentionally.

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Your lesser attraction to alcohol may be genetic or environmental. Addictive tendencies are often genetic, which can manifest itself in impulsive behaviours, or addiction. Also, your witness to your family's alcoholism and it's negative effects may have ingrained your subconscious into not overdoing it.

Hope this helps.