The word -addiction- these days is used to refer to a chronic condition where there is an
unhealthily powerful motivation to engage in a particular behaviour. This can be driven by
many different factors - physiological, psychological, environmental and social. If we say that it
is all about X, we miss V, W, Y and Z. So, some people think addicts are using drugs to escape
from unhappy lives, feelings of anxiety and so on; many are. Some people think drugs become
addictive because they alter the brain chemistry to create powerful urges; that is often true.
Others think that drug taking is about seeking after pleasure; often it is. Some take the view that
addiction is a choice - addicts weigh up the pros and cons of doing what they do and decide
the former outweigh the latter. Yet others believe that addicts suffer from poor impulse control;
that is often true- And so it goes on.
When you look at the evidence, you see that al
