Epigenetics and Recovery
We’ve all heard phrases like, “He’s an alcoholic like his father,” or “Addiction runs in that family.” For a long time, people believed this meant we were destined to repeat our parents’ lives.
Today, science tells a very different story.
That science is called epigenetics.
Your genes are not your destiny
Epigenetics teaches us that while we do inherit genes from our parents, genes alone do not determine our future. How those genes behave depends largely on our environment, experiences, habits, and beliefs—not just our DNA.
This helps answer an important question:
Why do some people develop addiction while others don’t?
Genes may increase risk, but they do not decide the outcome. Factors such as:
Stressful or unstable childhood environments
Childhood trauma
Early relationships and attachment patterns
all play a major role in whether addiction develops.
What epigenetics really means
Epigenetics is the study of how environment and behavior influence which genes are turned on or off.
What’s important to understand:
Your DNA itself does not change
The way your body reads your DNA does change
These changes are often reversible
In simple terms:
When you change your environment, you change how your body and brain function.
Why this matters for recovery
Recovery is not just about willpower or medication. Epigenetics shows us that healing happens through support, safety, and consistency.
Research suggests that:
A safe, supportive environment promotes healing
New habits can rewire the brain
Thoughts, emotions, and beliefs affect physical health
You are not broken or permanently damaged
This shift from old biology to new biology is great news for recovering addicts. Where we once believed DNA controlled everything, we now understand that we have influence over our own healing.
Nature and nurture
Current epigenetic research suggests that:
Roughly 50% of gene expression is inherited
Roughly 50% is shaped by environment
That means half of who you become is changeable—and that’s incredibly hopeful for anyone in recovery.
The empowering truth
When you understand epigenetics, recovery becomes less about asking,
“What’s wrong with me?”
and more about asking:
What supports do I need?
What environment helps me heal?
What new choices can I make today?
Epigenetics also helps us understand where addiction may have begun forming—often very early in life, shaped by the environment we grew up in. Exploring childhood experiences isn’t about blame; it’s about understanding what makes you tick.
As the saying goes, “Show me the child at seven, and I’ll show you the adult.”
Recovery allows us to interrupt that pattern.
Recovery is possible
Recovery is not about becoming someone else.
It’s about creating the healthiest version of you.
And science now shows that this is absolutely possible.
We explore all of this with you—step by step—so healing becomes understandable, achievable, and real.