Never Enough: The Neuroscience and Experience of Addiction by Judith Grisel

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Interesting thoughts:

"Desperation in any form leads to depraved acts. Social psychology has shown that a primary difference between upstanding citizens and depraved criminals is our circumstances, including many of which are beyond our control. Inherited proclivities, early experiences, and current environments combine to constrain many of our choices. It is not heroin, alcohol, nicotine, or cocaine that makes one an addict; it is the drive to escape from reality. I remember sharing a crack pipe with a homeless man for a while. Though probably only in his early forties, he had few teeth left, and those were dirty and broken. He hadn't showered or even looked in a mirror in weeks and was filthy and emaciated. Yet he'd pull on the pipe and wax on about how he was on top of the world. Even then I was reminded of Huxley's soma, required in some dystopian future in order to cope with society's dementia. Lest we feel above such depravity, we might remember that chemicals aren't the only way to escape. There are plenty of internet and entertainment addicts, food, shopping, or work addicts, maybe as many as there are people who have problems with substances."

~From Never Enough: The Neuroscience and Experience of Addiction by Judith Grisel

Here is info about the book on Amazon:
Never Enough: The Neuroscience and Experience of Addiction