I totally get the belief that 'this time it will be different'. Not sure why his therapists did not understand that. He might have better luck with a therapist trained in Motivational Interviewing. Sometimes, EMDR can also be used to treat addiction.
Addiction is often defined as continuing a behavior even when the negatives outweigh the positive benefits. That sounds like what he is doing.
Physical dependence and addiction are different.
I do not crave every day. I can go for stretches of time with no cravings.