Unfortunately, most rehabs are based on the disease concept . So the answer is always the the same you have an illness. This is nonsense , but more than that it erodes a persons own self belief in their willpower.This is borne out by the fact that one of the main concepts of the program requires you to subordinate yourself to higher power. This takes away that which defines us.Every one is their own higher power. enigma

The reason you start using a drug might be pure curiosity, goading by peers, or an over-active/damaged brain that requires drugs to repress in order for the subject to feel better. Eliminating the first two in no way stops addiction. When one is addicted one's neural pathways are usually used to the chemicals emitted when using the drug (albeit faulty chemicals), which makes it extremely difficult for one to quit the habit. If one is already seriously addicted eliminating the third problem (though difficult in itself) would not be much help. Will-power is not a very useful factor when dealing with rehab. Because when your brain has been altered by the chemicals emitted from drugs the withdrawal effects also seriously diminish willpower. Current rehab practices often use less harmful (and hopefully less addictive) replacement chemicals to wean one of the drug. The effectiveness of such programs, however, are rarely open to the public, because people who have been addicts basically have damaged their brains to such an extent that taking up the habit again is quite easy. Peer groups like alcoholics anonymous use peer support and religion to help addicts avoid temptation, which would always be there for the rest of their lives. None of the above healing methods go directly to the reason they start using the drugs.

The first thing any addict has to do is admit they have a problem.

not true, no clue, and no.

There not necessary. Addiction can be overcome by fortitude, courage and willpower. Combined with simple techniques as impetus reversion e.g. put the same energy into not using as using. Unfortunately, there are too many psychiatric institutions and research centres, who gain funding for looking for complex answers to simple questions. Addiction is an ethical issue, not a medical one. People use drugs because they like them. This is illustrated by the famous philosopher / scientist Occam (Occam’s razor) The principle states that the explanation of any phenomenon should make as few assumptions as possible, eliminating those that make no difference in the observable predictions of the explanatory hypothesis or theory . Alternatively, put more simply the simplest explanation is normally the correct one. My own experience validates this. In 2006, I initiated a self-induced withdrawal off 195 mg methadone of which 150mg was in inject able form. I had been on this maintenance regime for 16 years and the dose and type of opiate prescribed altered over the years, the only consistency was the escalation of the prescription. In addition I smoked over half an ounce on cannabis and drank in excess of 12 bottles of strong larger a day. I did not reduce or taper off any of the named substances, this detox was done alone and without medical or family support. It is now over 22 months and I am still opiate free do not smoke cannabis, but drink socially on occasions. I hope to share this experience and the strategies employed, to give others the hope and belief that addiction is not a disease and the only power it has over you is the power you give it.

People take drugs for many different reasons. An important step in overcoming addiction is coming to terms with that persons individual reason/s for wanting to take drugs. Overcoming addiction is not easy, and many other factors have to be taken into account, not just the reasons for taking drugs, and those reasons cannot always be simply 'eliminated'.