In my view, in order to understand addiction, one needs to understand human psychology. What we think and what we feel, are distinct drivers of our behavior. Epictetus ​noted some 2000 years ago that “it isn’t our circumstances, but our view of them, which creates our miseries." ​Victor Frankl, psychiatrist and Holocaust survivor, notes in his book, "Mans Search for Meaning," if you have any freedom, it is the freedom to choose how you think and react. Frankl's thinking is that our primary drive in life is not pleasure, as Freud maintained, but the discovery and pursuit of what we personally find meaningful.​ Our behavior is determined by what we find meaningful- what we value. Behavior, can be defined, as the way in which one acts or conducts oneself, especially toward others.​ As adults, our behavior should ultimately be determined by our thinking, but is often usurped or overwritten by our feelings, our emotions. ​Emotions are the primary drivers of our behavior. Addictive behavior is driven by our emotions-our feelings. We live in an emotion charged society where people often derive their values, not based on thinking, but based on how they feel (if it feels good-do it)! Feelings, including urges to use substances or activities, are almost always temporary. It's true, we can't always control our immediate feelings, but we do have control over how we think and act, based on those feelings. Unfortunately, people often act, based on their emotions-how they perceive they should feel or want to feel.Â