Nature vs. Nurture Shown in Family Addiction - 3111 Words

Consider the following scenario: John and his mother are both alcoholics. John has been exposed to his mother’s inappropriate relationship with alcohol since before he was born. In the age-old debate of nature vs. nurture, some would say it was merely natural for John to follow his mother’s path, a la the apple does not fall far from the tree—his addiction was inherited. Others would argue that John’s childhood experiences and home environment led him on the road to addiction. Many might question whether John would have fared better if he had been raised elsewhere. While John may have been a victim of circumstance or fate, a completely different angle can be considered. Perhaps John’s alcoholism is a genetic result—a result that was influenced by his unfortunate environmental factors. In other words, John inherited his nature via his nurture. The positions surrounding the explanation of John’s outcome have been debated for centuries by ordinary people, philosophers, geneticists and psychologists. With recent advancements, a second genome has been recognized and established as the â€Å"epigenome,† which is directly influenced by the outside environment (Francis). While extreme positions still exist within the nature vs. nurture debate, most scientists now agree that a combination of the two determines ones outcome; with the burgeoning field of epigenetics, however, the ability to overcome ones genes, to some extent, ends the debate and offers hope that can be viewed as AmericanShow MoreRelatedAddiction And Its Effects On Children1805 Words   |  8 PagesIntroduction While still a new development, addiction is most certainly a disease. Addiction may cause underlying changes in brain circuits it is easy to compare this to Parkinson s disease or Alzheimer s. 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