I might have used terminology wrong say that the addictions are a brain disorder....I know that I was reading about molecular biology and they were discussing the genetic, heritable and possible treatment of all the conditions I have discussed.
Also....my bipolar is a lifelong illness which is treatable to a certain extent, there is no cure and I will need to treat it medically for the rest of my life....I can have recurrences at any time, even with treatment...so I will always have to be vigilant about it.
It seems that is in some aspects a parallel of what I have heard/read about alcoholism here.
My subjective experience of having bipolar illness lends me no special insight into the mechanics, causes etc of this illness.
I would have liked to believe I could overcome it with strictly personal resources but because it does skew my perceptions, that does not make me the best candidate to treat myself...I need professional assistance.