[nerdponx]

tried harder

It's not about trying harder, it's about trying better, and with support. Habits of mind are tremendously powerful; yes, there is a biochemical component to addiction, but there is also a psychological habit component.

As far as I understand, this is part of what Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is designed to handle. A CBT practitioner works with the patient to come up with specific goals and a specific strategy for achieving those goals, including building and reinforcing new habits of mind.

Some people, like the GP, get lucky and figure it out for themselves. But in general that's not something you are expected to be able to do on your own.

[0xcde4c3db]

An issue worth considering is that if one is not already in an environment that's genuinely supportive, it can be hard to tell the difference between those offering support and those trying to take advantage. As with the poor, a great deal of money is made (or labor/sex extracted) by exploiting people with mental and emotional problems. Not because they have a great deal of money, but because they so often lack the means to defend themselves against predators. It doesn't help that the practical realities of mental health care make it pretty easy to come away from even a "proper" course of treatment feeling exploited.