"Some of the most important brain systems impaired in addiction are those in the prefrontal cortex that regulate social cognition, self-monitoring, moral behavior and other processes that the AA-type approach seems to target." (4 March 2009; Neuroscience: "Rethinking rehab", Jim Schnabel, Nature 458).
Or, you can take the AVRT approach that addiction is an impairment of the primitive parts of out brain, and the advanced parts of our brain can "out-think" addiction.