I do not see addiction as a ‘moral failing’ or as a medical ‘disease’, but rather as the result of an interweaving of behavioral, emotional, physical, and relationship factors. Addiction is when we turn to things that give us short term relief when life needs for connection and purpose are not met. Thus I have found that effective treatment is not focusing solely on abstinence as much as focusing on action plans to fulfill those primary needs. For an excellent short summary on the nature of addiction, I highly recommend this Ted Talk Video.