Okay, I'm actually in recovery, and I get lectured by an expert for 3 hours, 2 times a week. This has been going on for 3 months now. So, I've picked up alot of knowledge about addiction, and whatnot. So, I'm going to blow a few theories out of the water right now.
Some people aren't addicted, and can do it, and moderate. A very small few will get away with saying they have some kind of willpower that kept them invincible, despite HEAVY USE. They're wrong, but they got lucky for some reason or another. Chances are, they are cheating themselves of the truth, and actually are drinking or using much more than they think.
Addiction IS genetic, so some people will be a bit more curious than others.
There is no such thing as willpower in the face of addiction, Fingon. Sorry, but an addict will convince him/herself, despite ALL reasons: Lost home, lost family, enormous debts, 10 years of being clean... Any reason means nothing in the head of an addict. They are powerless. "What's the harm? Just once. I cleaned up before, I can do it again." The fact is, is that you NEVER really clean up. Once an addict, always an addict. However, if you stay fearful, and remember the pain, like Eyesore does for instance, then you have a shot at staying away. I use the debts, and the complete desecration of my life as I knew it before my alcoholic ways destroyed everything. I used to be a thriving, happy student, halfway through college, and a collegiate athlete. Now, I live in my parent's living room, playing guitar and listening to metal (Well I guess this is a bonus). While they work, I sit and wait for my liscense to come back in the mail. That's my pain, and on top of that, fear of botching my probation keeps me away from the bottle.
There is NO safe drug. NONE. Not even if you're an alcoholic, and you are smoking a puff of weed. Cross dependency is the very real concept that if you can become addicted to one thing, you're already addicted to everything else. If you aren't killing your liver with alcohol, you're failing a piss test with weed, and killing brain cells on top of it. Let me tell you about Harry. Harry was clean for 15 years. He thought he had his addiction to alcohol beat. BAM, he breaks his arm, gets prescribed to some vicadin, and the next thing you know, he relapses, because the vicadin makes him feel drunk, and to hide his new hobby (feelin' "good") from his wife, he starts smoking weed, which he can lose the smell of by driving with the windows down. He used like a cronic, and would up back in treatment. Now he sits next to me every week, me the first timer, scared shitless I'll be in his shoes in 30 years.
Another example: My friends are huge weed smokers. Daily $40 minimum spent on shit. When they finish what they have off, they're looking for more. When they run out, you know what they end up doing? They get wasted. Drunk as skunks. Why? Because they need to feel "out of it." You're addicted to the feeling, and any one of these drugs has a pleasurable effect... All you have to do is be reminded of what want.
Weedsmokers: I know weed doesn't seem terrible, but it's got you wasting money, doesn't it? Try staying away from it for a while. See how long you last. No month long goals either. Stay away as long as you can. You'll talk yourself into smoking some again. If not, you'll turn to booze. Caffine. Or even, God forbid, a stronger drug.
If you aren't addicted, yet... And those of you who aren't, but use... you wouldn't know it anyway, so this is just an address to anyone who THINKS they aren't addicted. Anyway, if you aren't addicted yet, let me tell you that it only gets WORSE. The more you use, even if it's a single puff, (or shot, or hit,) once a week, for 3 years, YOU WILL SEE A PROGRESSION OF AN ADDICTION! That's a fact. Addiction is a progressive disease. If you become an alcoholic at 15, and quit by 20, and 40 years pass... That's 40 years, longer than you'd been alive before cleaning up! If 40 years pass, and you start drinking, or smoking, thinking you got "it" under control, the relapse is twice as bad as the first time. Think of any scenario you want, it only gets worse.
So, the bullet points of this post would be:
-Willpower doesn't work.
-There's no such thing as a safe drug.
-Cross Dependency proves the last bullet, and if you want more proof, go to an AA meeting, and tell 'em you've never has an ounce of liquor in your life, but could use help with your coccain addiction. See if they kick you out. (They won't)
-Moderate users are people who wouldn't argue for the sake of a drug... IE none of you!
-Addiction is a progressive disease, it only gets worse.
PS to Fingon: Wanna know how well willpower is doing for me right now? I'm debating not posting this, because I'm afraid I'll look like a jerk in the future if I ever relapse. My brain is already setting me up for failure. Fuck it. For you, I'll post this one, buddy.