We use the word ‘addict’ to describe someone who would dearly love to quit a drug but cannot. But the word does nothing to explain why that person has to go on taking the drug, when no one but themselves forces them to. The expression ‘addictive personality’ is equally meaningless. It doesn’t explain the anomaly, but is merely a red herring used by people who do not understand drug addiction. It just piles further confusion onto an already confused subject.
