Originally Posted by
LBrain 
BUT, the reality is that "addiction" is a very real thing whether one wishes to call it that or not. It really is not as simple as just up and deciding one day to stop for a truly addicted person. Though it is possible to adopt a simple approach to staying 'stopped' once that has been achieved. Some form of intervention is usually required for those deeply entrenched in addiction, and it can be done from within as well - self-intervention (?)
Agreed, addiction is very real and in terms of the Freedom Model it is how you have learned to see yourself. In chapter 8 in the summaries linked to above all three writers talk about their own heavy drink/drug use and say how they were led to believe that they had crossed a "learned line" to being in a life-long struggle and how hopeless and despondent and even suicidal this made them feel. They say that worst thing of all was that they came to believe that they needed their substance as opposed to previously just liking it.
They call this hopeless state the "addict self-image" and say that just as this is learned it can be unlearned and this is done by letting go of this harmful self-identity and creating a new one where you are in control and can quit any time you like.