Good question. Is there really an answer?
Addiction is such a mind boggling thing to me. It seems to have so many different aspects, and different for each person.
I partied a lot from 9th grade all the way through high school, and a few years after. I tried and used several drugs. I am sure I thought I was only a recreational user, it was not having an adverse affect on my life, had a job, went to school, had good grades. Even as a recreational user, I guess I still abused drugs, just for the fact that I did them. Don't think I was an addict. I never worried if I had drugs or not, if there were there great, if not, well that was okay too.
I no longer party or do drugs for several years now. I pretty much quit doing any of that when I had kids. Life changed, I had new things to do. I always looked at it as just growing up.
What makes a person an addict then. I did drugs, gave them up no problem. Or maybe I just didn't do the "right" drugs that pull you in and suck the life out of you!