Originally Posted by EnglishGarden

Often I hear people say, "Underneath the addiction, addicts are really lovable and wonderful people."

"Underneath" an addiction may be a pathological narcissist. Or a predator of any variety. A sociopath. A rapist. A pathological liar. A child abuser. A maniac. It seems to me dangerously naive to say that the individual is a train wreck because of addiction but sober the individual will be compassionate and ethical.