Do you agree with old saying - monkey see, monkey do - in people from "broken" or drug, alcoholic, abusive, etc families are likely to repeat same?

[Anonymous]

So statistically - and this has been proven, ask any police or hospital or medical practioner and you'll find the familial history is the same as whatever the client or criminal is - if someone comes from a broken family (e. g. cheating, men or women in and out of the household, etc.), drug or alcohol abuse prone family, abusive family (don't learn how to cope with things properly), etc. it's more than likely that someone will repeat the behaviors.

I've seen it myself as a pharmacist. I see families of drug abusers. As one example one family father's a user, daughter's a user, the son was a user (his wife said you keep this shit up you'll never ever see your kids), at least one uncle's a user and I think mother (or an aunt) is a user.

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***The old saying is actually Jamaican (its origins in African lore of how a monkey stole from a street fruit vendor & the whole monkey troop/family learnt to do the same).

[purplepoppy]

I don't think it's just a family thing. If you look at the circles these people move in they're rife with criminal activity and substance abuse. The best thing addicts who want to get clean can do is distance themselves from friends and family.

If you sit in a barbers long enough you'll get a haircut.

[Anonymous]

Yes partly that but also the fact that it’s in the genes. Some people genetically have an addictive personality, aggressive traits, lower capability of resisting temptation, reduced ability to delay reward, lower ambition, less empathy etc which makes it more likely for them to end up in broken or toxic relationships, cheating, criminal activity, addiction and so on.

[Asker]

You could say that. My cousin was adopted into our family at 6 weeks. His mother a crackhead, his father a drug dealer / user and drunkard. He's done neither. And the only issue he has is ADHD.

But generally speaking children born of women who are drunkards or druggies are indeed more likely to have developmental issues. I'd not call it genetics.