Carmen... I think it can be all interwoven. I think the people that are ones that truly only have an addiction problem are the ones that WANT to help themselves eventually and have successful recoveries. I have known several in my lifetime that have other obvious traits that go with it... especially NPD or OCD... and it's much more difficult for recovery there. In fact, I don't think anyone I know with NPD EVER truly became a nicer person without blaming others for their drinking because... it's not the alcoholism talking there so much as it is their NPD (which is rarely ever faced by the person with it).