Definitions are IMPORTANT

Whether we are defining our cultural mores, our goals in life, or a word we've come across for the very first time, it is important to define what things mean both for ourselves as individuals and as a group with common ideals.

One word I've rarely seen defined fully is the word "addiction". So I'm going to do that for you here. You and I and the neighbor down the street all might have somewhat different ideas about what "addiction" means.

Here is what Noah Webster has to say about it: The word comes from a latin root, "addicere", which means "to give assent (which means agreement, allowance) to".
def. 1. to give oneself up to a strong habit.

So when a criminal "gives himself up" he says ok I give up, you got me, I won't fight back.

So an addict, to be one by definition, has had to say "I give up, you got me, I won't fight this".

Now below that, there have GOT to be reasons why, for sure. So in handling addiction, let's
remember to do that, to dig under and find out what drugs were doing for them that were so beneficial for a user to continue using - but also - let's remember what we are actually dealing with. An addict, per Noah Webster, is someone that has AGREED to be a slave to that drug or substance. Let's not now start calling that mental illness or genetic dysfunction, or bad childhood, because those things are not in the definition. They might be present, but they aren't in the definition.

I think we can restore a person's dignity much more effectively if we start out by addressing the person as THE ONE that MADE THE CHOICE, and KEPT ON MAKING THE CHOICE.

My two cents.