Frances Bean Cobain and the Genetics of Addiction

(NIDA) Frances Bean Cobain, daughter of famous rockers Kurt Cobain and Courtney Love, recently posted a message on Instagram where, for the first time, she acknowledged publicly that she’s in recovery from addiction. She said it was her “2nd sober birthday,” meaning she hasn’t used drugs in 2 years.

Kurt Cobain’s addiction may have contributed to his suicide, and Courtney Love has told interviewers about her own drug problems. Does this mean that Frances was going to become addicted to drugs, no matter what? No. There are many risk factors for addiction, but none of them means that a person will develop an addiction for sure. Read more about "addiction genes" on the National Institute on Drug Abuse for Teens website.