carholme:
I agree completely. But non-addicts who dismiss addiction as being a character flaw, while ignoring the chemical realities of the brain and addiction, do a great disservice to people like yourself who've been there. I am quite sure that you never "wanted" to be there, or that a weakness of self got you there. The inability to regain control that cries for help and understanding comes from the addiction, not the other way around.