My entire family is full of ADDICTS, and I believe this to be true for every family. The so-called "drug" of choice is different for every person, but there is that ONE thing for every human that comes before anything else in their mind. Before their own health and safety. It can be the most difficult drugs to get off on that the body becomes so physically dependent on (heroin, opioids, meth, ect), the prescription pills, dope, cigarettes, alcohol, FOOD/SUGAR. Yes, that is a true addiction for more than half of the entire world's population, just look at the overweight/obesity worldwide epidemic and now childhood obesity and tell me it is a "choice" for those people and they cannot control their willpower. BS. The majority of the population now worldwide (except north korea and china and some places japan) is OVERWEIGHT/OBESE because their drug of choice is the easily available completely legal terrible for you but delicious to your taste buds FOOD and CANDY and desserts and now the larger than human sized portions that are the "norm." But it's all fine because it's LEGAL. There is heart disease killing more people than anything, also diabetes, also cancer, knowingly caused by our food choices and lack of exercise.
My mom's dad was an alcoholic. He was married to a nurse. My grandma had no "substance" abuse problems whatsoever, BUT she chose to marry and live with an abusive alcoholic who treated her and the 3 children terribly. My mom was a chain smoker her entire life until she died of lung cancer. My aunt was a heroin user and died from an overdose. My uncle is a food addict because he has always been very large for his age and now has an entire family of obese people (had very overweight kids who are now obese).
My dad did NOT abuse ANY substances, not even alcohol. HIS "drug" of choice was being in love with a narcissist woman his entire life (my mom).
My sister is the exact same, she never drinks, never smokes, BUT she immediately had four kids without thinking twice about it with an ALCOHOLIC. Stayed with this alcoholic narcissist for 20 yrs despite him treating her like the dirt under the doormat. HE is HER ADDICTION. HE comes FIRST before her kids, before herself. She did finally leave but now has replaced him with another MAN who lives in Ghana (they are supposedly in love). She sends him all her money before she spends it on herself for her own food. Her ADDICTION is having a MAN who treats her terribly.
My #1 love has always been food (ever since I can remember). I gained 80 pounds in one year. My weight has gone up and down like a roller coaster until I was 120 pounds overweight and felt the only way to stop myself from gaining more and becoming bedridden was to have stomach surgery. So I did, and that was over 10 years ago and I have maintained my weight ever since. Did I stop being a food addict? NO!!! I just cannot stuff myself anymore so I started using alcohol instead. Drinking to pass out every night even though I dont enjoy the taste of ANY wine or alcohol. This is called ADDICTION TRANSFERENCE and IT IS REAL. This is what most people do if they manage to overcome their #1 love and abstain from it, they simply replace it with the best replacement they can find. (food, cigarettes, vaping, ect ect ect).
Others will have their own addiction substance of "choice": SEX, PORN, MASTURBATION, VIDEO GAMES, GAMBLING, EXERCISE, EATING DISORDERS, ALCOHOL, VAPING, WORK, ANOTHER PERSON, ________________________ fill in the blank. These are all the same as a so-called "drug" addiction.
Honestly, my drug of choice is HEROIN even though I have yet to do it. It has been my "dream drug" since I first heard about it. Only downers appeal to me and being passed out to the point of cant be woken up, total euphoria. I used to be afraid of the sickness part and strong addictive quality, but at this point in my life, there is no reason to care anymore.
If you do ANYTHING to the detriment of your own body/mind health, and you cannot STOP, that is YOUR ADDICTION. Sometimes other family members can seem like they are not affected by a substance addiction, BUT I am willing to bet money that if you look closely enough, there IS SOMETHING (job, work, another person) that they NEED, just as much as any drug addict.