Addicts, as well as others with psychological problems, may blame their parents for their shortcomings, something which pop psychology has inadvertently encouraged. Some addicts spend countless hours rehashing the past and tend to use such information to indulge in self-pity and to justify their recourse to chemicals. I have found it helpful to say, “Even if you are what your parents made you, if you stay that way, it’s your own darn fault.
