Codeine abuse.

I agree with you, I do think addictions are caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain and other, related, personality traits can be identified from early childhood. Unfortunately, very little is known about the way our brains work - perhaps more should have been spent on 'inner space' and less on outer space. In the meantime, millions of people are having their lives ruined by prescription drugs, and not all of them would have become addicted to something else.

I depend on paracetamol and codeine every day to deal with pain. I depend on it but I'm not addicted because if, by any chance (it happens occasionally) I'm not in pain, then I don't take the drugs.

I agree with Flickety that the problem is what makes some people become addicted to things – having an "addictive personality" perhaps – and not necessarily the drugs. It seems to me to be a mental health issue about which, as yet, not enough is understood.

Crossed posts, G. We seem to be saying the same thing.

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