Addiction is one of the least understood forms of psychological distress: it is neither a choice (i.e. lack of willpower) nor an inherited disease, but a psychological and physiological response to painful life experiences.

Addiction appears in any behavior that a person craves, finds temporary relief or pleasure in but suffers negative consequences as a result of, and yet has difficulty giving up. It involves craving, relief, pleasure, suffering, and impaired control. This definition is not restricted to drugs or alcohol, but can encompass almost any human behavior, including sex, eating, shopping, gambling and compulsive internet use.

Addiction originates in a person’s desperate attempt to solve a problem: the problem of emotional pain, of overwhelming stress, of lost connection, of loss of control, of a deep discomfort with the self. In short, it is a futile attempt to solve the problem of human suffering.