Can't I just stop by myself?

If someone said you had developed a terrible reaction to say, orange juice. you'd simply never touch orange juice again. Easy, right?

Why you can't stop using willpower alone...
In the case of alcohol or drugs it's a little different. Chemical processes in the brain produce cravings which persistently make us think about and want our addictive substance. At the same time tolerance increases, meaning we need more & more to achieve the same effect.

There are also psychological reasons...
Drugs or alcohol take the edge off life; they relax us, ease anxiety, make socialising easier and seemingly help us manage our problems. We come to rely on them, so much so that for many of us they become the main 'tool' we have for 'dealing with' life. Take that tool away, and what's left? This might explain another symptom of addiction.

Continued use despite adverse consequences
Not only does the physical addiction produce cravings for the very thing that is causing most harm, but the psychological parts of the illness are telling us we can't cope without it. It's not weakness - we are labouring under a very powerful set of physical and psychological forces which are all compelling us to continue harming ourselves with drink or drugs.

This is why most people who want to overcome their problematic drinking or drug use need specialist help.
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