Intresting. I do believe, and I have read studies before, where addiction has been linked to the brain messing up and mistakenly takes the drug/alcohol as something it needs for survival. Therefore the urge to use that drug (I include alcohol as a drug) is the sign of a strong survival instinct, not a drive to self-destruct.
I can believe this article, that the instinct to use, is a deep primal survival instinct, just from the strength of the urges. Ive talked to people who don't have an addiction problem before..and one said "If I can resist a cream cake, when I love them, I don't see how you can't resist a drink"
The difference between "wanting" something and the feeling of a primal urge that you "need" something I reckon are enormous.