If you want to point the addict toward more fulfilling possibilities in his life, drop the self-righteousness. The conversation needs to be opened not as a demand, but as an invitation that may be refused. It is helpful to acknowledge that the person had reasons for “choosing” the addiction, that it held some value for him. “It was your way of surmounting some pain, or helping you through some difficulty. I can understand why you went in that direction.”
