The term addiction usually refers to the chronic use of one of three kinds of psychotropic substances, legal drugs (eg. alcohol, nicotine), illicit drugs (eg. cocaine, marijuana) or prescription drugs (eg. valium, prozac), in large enough quantities to cause life-damaging consequences in various aspects of one's life.
Drug and alcohol abuse is arguably the number one cause of death and disability in the world, with tobacco/nicotine killing 5 million worldwide. When one considers that 90% of the incarcerations, 50% of the psychiatric admissions and roughly 25% of the admissions to medical surgical hospitals are directly the result of drug abuse, one begins to get a picture of the enormous toll this takes on society.
Craving is the primary symptom of addiction, and if severe enough, an addict will destroy anyone or anything to get to the “substance” which they are deluded into believing will satisfy their craving and bring happiness.
Cause of Addiction
Biochemical imbalances in eight key neurotransmitters are the driving force behind all addictions. (Brain cells or neurons, produce chemical substances called neurotransmitters and they control virtually every aspect of your life by communication with other cells.) When they are deficient, the addicted person finds it extremely difficult to satisfy their cravings. Addicts become progressively powerless over the dictates of their imbalanced brain chemistry.
8 Key Neurotransmitters
1- Serotonin (an inhibitory neurotransmitter that exerts a soothing influence on unpleasant emotions and prevents us from overactions.)
2- GABA (inhibits, similar to serotonin, and that helps alleviate anxiety and worry and influences intellectual activity.)
3- Endorphins and Enkephalins (two groups of structurally similar inhibitory transmitters that are powerful natural pain relievers.)
4- Endocannabinoids (acts as a modulatory system, fine-tuning the body's responses to a variety of stimuli)
5- Acetylcholine (inhibits dopamine’s potential for unrestrained delusional, paranoid content)
6- Dopamine (known as the "euphoria" neurotransmitter.)
7- Taurine (inhibits similar to GABA)
8- Histamine (regulates alertness and wake-sleep cycles)
Substance abuse is thus caused by replacing one or more of the key neurotransmitters with an artificial chemical such as alcohol, cocaine or valium, to temporarily satisfy a craving.
The more that a psychotropic artificial substance is used, the more the neurotransmitters which the chemical is mimicking are depleted, and increasingly larger amounts of the addictive chemical must be used to achieve the same stress reduction effect (tolerance). The condition worsens as the natural transmitter is depleted. The addict is compelled by their biochemical imbalances to seek the object of their craving at any cost, even if it jeopardizes their health, personal relationships, and job.
Addiction Cure
A long term solution can only be achieved if the cause is addressed and the imbalances are normalized.
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Recovery Assistants Foundation is a charitable organization that offers hope for recovery for those struggling with mental health conditions such as ADD, ADHD, depression, addictions, bi-polar, anxiety disorders and the results of childhood abuse.
Many people are unfamiliar with the term “Naturopathy.” The definition is presented here as recorded by Congress in 1931 in The Federal Dictionary of Occupational Titles, Section 079.101-014, "Naturopathic Physician." This definition is based on a law passed by Congress in 1929 and signed into law by President Coolidge and is still in effect today. This law recognizes Naturopathy as an independent and non-medical healing art. 
It is possible to overcome drug addictions but you will probably have to look outside the box of “conventional” addiction treatment programs to find the answer. Standard treatment programs often don’t take into account the "physiological basis" of drug abuse, an oversight some see as the main reason for their low success rates. 
Alcohol Abuse
