Knowing that some men are not fully responsible for their addictions might ease their minds. A new study has confirmed that addiction and impulsivity are genetically embedded in men.
As a matter of fact, the culprit gene is NRXN3, which has also been linked to alcohol and nicotine dependence as well as obesity and opiate addiction. What’s interesting is that all these addictions seem to have one thing in common: impulsivity.
So, if you’re struggling with male addiction and are looking for a mens rehab information at Addiction Resource , it may make you feel better to know that you may not be entirely responsible for your addiction.
“The other studies basically showed the NRXN3 seems to be associated with some addictions and with obesity. But our study is really the first to flesh out the mechanism by looking at behavioral control, looking at impulsivity.”
said study researcher Scott Stoltenberg, a psychologist at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln.
The Link Between DNA and Behavior
It’s difficult to say with certainty that a single gene has a direct link to behavior because we’re neurologically and anatomically complex beings. Therefore, NRXN3 does not have a straightforward connection to impulsiveness and addictive behaviors, according to Stoltenberg.
As a matter of fact, this gene is not the only one that’s linked to impulsivity, which makes drawing a conclusion more difficult.
In 2010, a study found a different gene mutation associated with impulsive, violent behavior in Finnish men. And it doesn’t end here, in 2006 a study found a different gene that was linked to impulsive aggression and furthermore a ‘thrill-seeking’ gene that has been linked to promiscuity and adoration of horror movies.
However, this does not mean that an individual with these active genes will indulge in mindless sex and horror movies, but it can mean that the wrong environment and the collision of multiple genes may contribute to a personality that will have a tendency to enjoy these activities.
So, there’s no straightforward answer where single genes are solely responsible for certain behaviors.
Stoltenberg mentioned that “You almost can’t paint a complicated enough picture of how genes are associated with behaviors.” He also metioned, “There are a lot of factors out there that influence our behaviors, and genes are just one of them.”
However, in general, certain genes don’t necessarily have the power to predispose an individual to alcohol, nicotine, and opiate addiction. So, it does not mean that it may happen 100%.
Stoltenberg said, “Genes directly make people more susceptible to addiction to a certain substance. In other cases, genes play on maladaptive behaviors, such as impulsivity, that make addiction more likely.”
The Relationship Between Addiction, Impulsivity, and Genes
Stoltenberg and his team wanted to get to the bottom of the following issues: why does the gene NRXN3 keep popping as a plausible cause in relation to obesity and addiction?
To get some answers, they recruited 439 college-age, caucasian volunteers who gave a cheek-swab genetic sample. One of the reasons why they chose caucasian volunteers was to prevent a possible race-based genetic difference from tampering with the results.
The volunteers had to fill questionnaires about their history with drug, alcohol, and tobacco use, including questions about their personality. They also measured the volunteer’s patience and impulsivity ratio.
Finally, the results showed not one but two interesting links between NRXN3 and behavior. In men, for instance, it was revealed that if they had a variant of this gene, it increased the risks of issues with alcohol by 2.5 times, which is staggering.
As a side note, while they did not opt for formally diagnosing for alcoholism, they did notice those who raised certain red flags.
On that note, if you feel like you’re struggling with alcoholism, check out this drug and alcohol helpline.
It was also found that this NRXN3 gene was also associated with impulsive behavior, which in turn is closely related to drug and alcohol abuse.
Stoltenberg added, “NRXN3 is a gene associated with maintaining the connections between brain cells.”
He also explains that the variation of the gene that’s linked to impulsivity can also cause a change in the gene’s promoter region, which is part of the gene that controls the creation of a type of protein. Therefore, the amount of protein that is created may have an influence on the brain and, ultimately, on the individual’s behavior.
Stoltenberg mentioned, “It doesn’t change the structure of the protein, but it might change whether you get a lot of it or a little bit of it.”
Unanswered questions
Stoltenberg and his colleagues still have a dilemma which the study was not able to elucidate: why the gene NRXN3 that is associated with impulsivity and addiction was only found in men and not women. In the meantime, they will share and report their results in the Drug and Alcohol Dependence.
To conclude, Stoltenberg mentioned,
“I don’t have a ready explanation for that, other than there are differences in rates of alcohol problems in men and women, and also men and women differ in biology. The gender-based finding highlights the complexity of behavioral genetics research. It seems that genetic variation in NRXN3 plays a role in these behavioral problems. But I think we’re pretty far from having a complete understanding of it.”
If you’re having problems with your addiction, we advise you to seek a free drug addiction treatment. While some genes are at play, you owe it to yourself to get better!
Conclusion
It seems that addiction is not that black and white; there are a lot of nuances that play a vital role in whether someone will develop an addiction or not.
We hope that this article has spread some light on the issue of addiction and obesity and the fact that you can always turn to a free drug rehab if you feel overwhelmed.