Sam Miller, Lucy and Josh’s uncle, is 50 years old and divorced. He works as a foreman on the Maldonado produce farm. He is an alcoholic and has been diagnosed with severe substance use disorder due to his alcohol addiction. His alcohol use is affecting his position as the foreman. Over the past few months, he has experienced emotional outbursts, missed work, and started arguments with the workers, third-party wholesalers, and Al Goldberg (Olson family). Sam has been upset that his parents sold the family farm to the Maldonado family instead of passing it down to him.

For your assigned family member, analyze the biology of substance misuse and describe its potential for dependence in certain families and the outcomes of various behaviors. Is it likely that Lucy, Josh, or Sam had a genetic predisposition to alcohol or substance addition? How does lifespan development make a difference in propensity to misuse substances? How does the stage of life at which the misuse begins affect the user’s behaviors?